Coming Closer
by RaucousDragon
Summary: Zoro x OC   Hikari Oshiro thought stealing from the Mugiwara Pirates would be a cinch. Turns out it wasn't as easy as she had first planned...  Warning: language, violence and eventual sexual scenes
1. The White Haired Girl

Hey there! This is my first fanfic that I've published online, so I apologize if it sucks.

Still working out how works, so if there's weird spacing or something, once again, I apologize.

Pairing: Zoro x OC

Rating: M for language, violence and possible sexual scenes (but that'll be later)

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters associated with it, nor do I make any profit from the writing of this story.

The character Hikari Oshiro, however, belongs to me, as I created her.

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><p>Cold steel pressed against her throat.<p>

While any normal person would have probably started panicking at this point, she found herself oddly calm. Well, odd for most people. For her, this was normal. She supposed that her fight-or-flight instinct had been replaced by a just-fight instinct. Every time she was confronted with a situation like this, every time adrenaline coursed through her veins, that was only time she could truly think clearly, the only time she could detach herself from the world. Right now, for example, she was idly admiring the razor-sharp blade that was currently hovering a hairsbreadth from her jugular. It was obviously a very well-made sword, and a cursed sword at that. She could feel it humming in its master's hand, itching to spill her blood. But while the sword was yearning to kill, its master was not. The swordsman currently wielding the cursed sword was tense, threatening, but there was no killing intent in his emerald green eyes.

"So where is it?" the swordsman growled, pressing the tip of the sword ever so slightly against her neck.

She wondered how she had gotten into this situation…

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><p>Snow white hair streamed behind her as she sprinted down the dark alleyway. Sea-grey eyes scanned the street ahead, checking for any sign of danger. Her feet pounded against the pavement, the rhythmic beat echoing in the silent night. She glanced down once, to check the small parcel stuffed in her pack. Hikari Oshiro did not often steal from people, but her employer was paying her an ungodly amount of money for this one job, and it had been far too easy. The rowdy pirate crew had not even noticed when she had slipped over in the overcrowded bar and snatched it from right under their noses. When her employer had given her this job, she had thought she would never live to see the light of day. These pirates were notoriously lucky, or so she had thought. A small smile crept across her face, and she slowed her pace to a walk.<p>

"That was far too easy," Hikari laughed quietly, giving one last glance over her shoulder. The job was done. She was in the clear.

"Oh, really?" Hikari froze at the sound of a voice issuing suddenly from the shadows.

The click of a lighter illuminated the face of a blonde haired man, casually leaning against the side of a building. Once he had lit his cigarette, he exhaled, blowing smoke casually up towards the twilight sky.

"Did you really think you could steal from Nami-swan and get away with it?" the man hissed, glancing calmly at her with one blue eye.

The hiss of steel behind her alerted her to a second presence. Spinning around, she saw the green haired man slowly walking toward her, a sword in his hand, and a deadly look in his emerald green eyes. Hikari mentally cursed herself. She had been overconfident. After all, she was dealing with the Mugiwara Pirates. She shouldn't have taken them so lightly.

The swordsman stopped a few feet from her. Tensing, Hikari slowly reached for her pack, and the knives that lay inside. With a flash, the tip of the sword was against her neck, pressing ever so gently against her pale skin.

"You aren't going anywhere," he growled in his low baritone voice.

Time seemed to slow. Hikari relaxed, letting the adrenaline wash over her. She slowly closed her eyes, heard her heartbeat slowing, felt the cold blade pressed against her throat. She heard the tap of feet as the blonde man walked up behind her, felt him grab her shoulder.

In a split second, she reacted.

Hikari batted the sword away with her forearm, ignoring the searing pain as the sword sliced her skin. She dropped into a crouch, sweeping one leg out and spinning like a top. Her foot hit home, knocking the blonde man off balance and throwing him into the surprised swordsman. Carrying her momentum, Hikari rolled, righting herself in a crouching position. With a quick burst of speed, she was off, sprinting down the alley.

"Dammit! After her!" the swordsman shouted. Hikari could hear the two men's bickering getting fainter and fainter as she sprinted on. Unfortunately for them, she knew this city like the back of her hand. She could easily lose them in the maze of alleys and streets. However…

Hikari glanced down at her bleeding arm, a cruel grin spreading across her face. Maybe these pirates could be useful after all…

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><p>"Do you have the package?"<p>

Hikari snapped out of her daydream, glancing at the heavily guarded man before her with disinterest.

"Of course," she stated, in a matter-of-fact tone. "Do you really have that little faith in my abilities?"

The man blinked, then shook his head. "Of course not. I trust you more than any of my men, Oshiro-chan."

Hikari snorted. _What bullshit_, she though, her eyes narrowing as her employer turned his back to her and walked to the window.

"I was simply worried that… well… The Mugiwara Pirates have quite a reputation," the man continued, gazing out the window.

"That's an understatement," Hikari murmured, flexing her injured arm unconsciously.

"But I'm glad that you were able to finish the job," her employer spoke, turning to face his white haired employee. He accidentally met her gaze, her sea-grey eyes boring into his. He shivered, and quickly glanced away. "Now for the matter of your payment."

Hikari grinned. "Ah, about that," she began, clapping her hands together as she spoke. "I'll need a raise."

Her employer spluttered, a horrified expression forming on his face. "Wh-what?" he gasped. "I'm already paying you enough as it is!"

Hikari leveled her gaze at him, a cruel grin spreading across her face. "Hmm… I don't think so," she mused. Pulling a long knife from its sheath on her hip, she tossed it casually up and down, her gaze never leaving her employer's face. "You see, you never said _how_ bad of a reputation the Mugiwara's had. I think leaving out such… critical… information is worth at least, oh, another 2 million."

If the laws of physics had suddenly lost all meaning, the man's jaw would have hit the floor. "2 MILLION? Are you _SERIOUS_? Just because you aren't good enough to beat them-" He was cut off as Hikari's knife came dangerously close to being embedded in his face.

"You honestly think that I'm not good enough?" Hikari growled, her eyes narrowed at the man. "Don't make me laugh. Those weaklings couldn't take me on in a thousand years." She stopped, trying to cool her head. She couldn't get carried away, not now. "As it is," she continued. "Those pirates probably followed me here."

"You…" her employer whispered, shaking in fear. "You bitch, you let them follow you?"

Hikari's grin widened. "Why, I wouldn't _let_ them follow me," she cooed innocently. "How can I help it if they happen to be good trackers? At any rate, I want my pay before-"

At that moment, the wall behind her literally exploded. Spinning on her heels, she saw a raven haired boy, clutching a straw hat on his head, glaring daggers at her.

"HEY, YOU SHIRO WITCH!" The boy screamed, pointing at Hikari. "YOU BETTER GIVE US BACK OUR TREASURE!"

Hikari scowled, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "Tch, they got here too soon… I was just about to get my money too." Glancing behind her, she saw her employer sprinting for the door. Drawing a second knife, she threw it at the back of his head, where it embedded itself up to the hilt. Her former employer was dead before he hit the floor.

With a sigh, Hikari turned, ignoring the short boy and his screaming, and walked over to the briefcase that the man had left. She reached to pick it up – only to find that her arms were suddenly pinned behind her back. Struggling to free them from whatever was restraining her, she glanced down, only to see hands sprouting from the ground and restraining her legs as well. Hikari's head snapped up, her eyes scanning the room for the cause of this anomaly. Across the room, she saw a raven haired woman standing with her arms crossed in an odd fashion. The woman smiled slyly at her, and suddenly, Hikari began to panic. Thrashing to get loose, she almost didn't hear the woman's quiet voice.

"Seix Fleurs."

Two more hands suddenly sprung out of her shoulders. One hand clapped over her mouth, the other covered her nose. Hikari's lungs screamed from the lack of oxygen. Her vision blurred, and she felt herself begin to pass out. One last coherent thought sparked through her mind before everything went black.

_Shit… I'm in such deep shit now…_


	2. Captive

Sorry this is going so slowly! I'm trying to build up some semblance of a plot, so it'll take a bit of time... *sigh*

Also, I'm currently taking 18 hours of college classes, so I have almost no time to write...

I'm ranting again. I need to stop.

Anywho, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

I do own Hikari, though. ^_^

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><p>The faint murmur of distant voices lulled Hikari out of her sleep. She willed her eyes to open, slowly raising her head to gaze around the dark room she now found herself in. Her tired eyes could hardly make out anything in the room. She tried to move her arms, only to find that she was currently tied to a chair with coarse rope. Cursing her luck, she closed her eyes again and willed away her quickly growing headache. Hikari sat for a while in the dark, contemplating her options. Escape was out; her legs and arms were too well bound, and she didn't know how many people were waiting outside the room. Diplomacy obviously wasn't an option; otherwise she wouldn't be tied up. Her headache worsened, and Hikari simply decided the best option was to wait till someone came to negotiate. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes with a heavy sigh.<p>

A few seconds later, or so it seemed to Hikari, the door banged open and sunlight flooded the room. Hikari squinted her eyes against the blinding light, trying to make out who was stomping down the stairs. The man, for he clearly carried himself like one, came to a halt in front of her. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Hikari recognized the man who stood before her now as the green haired swordsman. He crossed his arms across his muscular chest and glared at her. Hikari stared back with a look of disinterest.

The two sat in silence for some time, neither refusing to allow their gaze to leave the other. Finally, Hikari rolled her eyes and tilted her head to the side. "So are you planning at staring at me all day, or what?" she drawled.

The swordsman's eyes narrowed. Striding forward, he slammed one hand on the back of the chair, causing Hikari to flinch ever so slightly. She sucked in a breath as she suddenly found emerald green eyes directly before her own sea-grey eyes. She could smell a hint of sake on his breath as it ghosted across her face. He remained silent for another few seconds, and then he spoke.

"Where is it?"

His rumbling baritone alarmed Hikari; despite having spoken so quietly, he still managed to convey a threatening tone. For the first time in her life, Hikari found herself at a loss for words. She sat silent, lost in the deep green eyes that felt as if they were boring into her very soul.

"Well?" he growled, raising the volume of his voice ever so slightly. "I don't plan on waiting all day for an answer."

Hikari blinked, and the spell was broken. She smirked, and glanced coolly at the swordsman. "Say pretty please," she whispered.

Fury flashed in his eyes, and a moment later, Hikari felt his fist slam into her face. Her head snapped to the side, and her ears started ringing. Hikari closed her eyes and sucked in a breath._ Damn, _he could hit hard. Turning back to the swordsman, she grinned. "Oh, come on, you can do better than _that_."

Another blow to the face was her reward, and she tasted the metallic tang of blood. The swordsman had his fists clenched so hard he was shaking. With a hiss, he turned on his heel and stomped back up the stairs. The door slammed, throwing Hikari back into darkness. Closing her eyes, she calmed her breathing and focused on the murmur of voices above her.

"… NEVER hit a woman!" a man's voice snarled. She recognized the voice as belonging to the smoking blonde man. She scoffed as he continued on his rant. Now it made sense; he had been far too easy to take out when he had confronted her in the alley.

"I don't care," the swordsman's gruff baritone cut through the blonde's babbling. "She took _you_ out. She's tough enough to handle a hit or two!" Hikari smirked. Of course she could. She had been trained to withstand pain. She was starting to like the swordsman. He seemed to have the most sense of the motley crew, at least when it came to fighting. "Plus she stole from us," the swordsman continued. "If we don't get it back, we can't go anywhere." Hikari could hear the blonde beginning to protest.

"I agree with Swordsman-san," a melodic voice rang out abruptly. Hikari recognized this voice with a shudder: this voiced had belonged to the black haired woman who had knocked her out. "She stole the Log Pose right out from under our noses. Even if we didn't need it to traverse the Grand Line, we should still act, as a matter of pride."

"But we don't need to beat her up!" another voice squeaked. "Torture _never_ works. Besides, she's been unconscious for days. There MUST be something medically wrong with her…" Pacing footsteps reached her ears as the voice began to mumble, apparently to no one in particular.

At this, Hikari froze. _Days?_ She couldn't have been unconscious for that long! She pulled at the ropes binding her, to no avail. She had to hurry. She had to go find _it_, before someone else did.

"At any rate, _marimo_ here shouldn't be allowed in the lovely lady's presence," the blonde spoke. "_I _should be the one to interrogate her - " A loud bang cut him off, sounding like the blonde's head had been slammed into something hard, presumably a table.

"You are NOT going down there," another feminine voice shouted. "You'll just flirt! Usopp can go!"

"Wh-what?" Usopp yelped. "But… I don't wanna! Why can't _you_ go, Nami?"

"BECAUSE I SAID SO," Nami screeched. "Now get down there and find out where my Log Post is!" A door banged open, and she heard someone sprinting across the wooden floors above. Once again, the door opened, but this time, a scrawny boy with an extremely long nose scurried down the stairs. Near the bottom of the stairs, however, a loose board caught his shoe, and he tumbled across the floor, crashing into a rather large pile of boxes.

Hikari stared. They had sent _this_ idiot to interrogate her? She scoffed, shaking her head. Maybe they _were _crazy…

The long-nosed kid (named Usopp, if she remembered correctly) suddenly stood. Facing away from her, he let out a low chuckle. "So…" he spoke, trying to make his voice sound deeper than it actually was. "You dare to steal from the great and mighty Usopp?"

"Great and mighty?" she snorted. "I doubt it." She twisted her wrists a bit more, and felt the rope loosening. Her eyes flickered to her wrists. The rope was beginning to fray. Excellent. All she needed to do was keep him distracted, and she would be free in no time.

Usopp spun around, his arms crossed over his chest. "Of course I am! How dare you insult the Captain of this fine vessel?"

"Oho! So you're the Captain? I never would have guessed." Hikari feinted surprise.

Usopp smiled and nodded. "But of course! Only one so brave and wise as me could run a ship properly!" He turned his back on her, marching away as he chuckled. Hikari pulled desperately at the ropes on her wrists, willing them to snap.

"At any rate, I'm here to discuss the item which you stole from our possession. We need to know where it is." He turned back to face the captive, expecting to see the white haired girl tied to the chair. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with Hikari, her sea-grey eyes glinting maliciously.

"Sorry," she smirked. "You're not in any position to demand anything from me right now."

Usopp opened his mouth to scream, but Hikari's fist flashed before his eyes and the world went black.

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><p>TBC<p>

Comments and suggestions are always appreciated.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Escape?

Many thanks to everyone who's reading this fic! Especially to those of you who Favorited! Thanks a bunch!

On the topic of reviews, I realize that last chapter, Zoro hit Hikari. While in the anime, he hasn't done anything like that, I believe that he would if he had to. He treats everyone the same, regardless of whether they're a man or woman. So that's why I had him hit her. But he probably won't do it again...

This chapter was... awkward. I wanted to do two different viewpoint of the same event, but it ended up really forced and it jumped around a lot, so I had to cut some stuff out. Thus, the shorter chapter.

I may not update for a while. Classes are getting hectic... :/

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

I do own Hikari Oshiro.

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><p>Zoro lounged on the deck, taking his daily afternoon nap. The smooth wood railing behind his back swayed with the ship, rocking gently in the calm sea. A cool breeze ruffled the soft grass on the Thousand Sunny's deck. The sun's gentle rays warmed him to his core. Zoro sighed contentedly, a small smile flickering across his face.<p>

His mind drifted, back to the past few days. Back to the white haired girl in the hull of the ship. His lip curled in distaste. Some part of her irked him. Perhaps it was her confidence, even in the face of danger. Her snide attitude towards anyone and everyone. Her defiant eyes. Her shining, sleek hair…

Zoro started when he realized he was starting to admire her. With a growl, he pushed the thoughts of her out of his mind. He suddenly heard a yelp from below deck. For a moment, he didn't register what the sound could be from. Then his eyes flew open as realization hit him. He leapt to a crouch, his hand hovering over his swords.

_Dammit._

He sprinted toward the open door, silently hoping, that Usopp had just tripped or done some other stupid thing. Barreling down the stairs, he skidded to a stop. Usopp's unconscious body was sprawled across the floor, and the white haired witch was nowhere to be seen. Cursing under his breath, he sprinted back up the stairs, shouting for the others and drawing Sandai Kitetsu as he neared the deck. He knew it would be all too easy for someone of her caliber to escape. She could easily slip off the ship and swim back to shore if they didn't stop her.

He ran to the starboard side, which was currently facing the island, and stopped dead in his tracks. The white haired girl was simply standing in place, facing the sea. He gripped the cursed sword tighter, and strode towards the girl. She spun around to face him, and he was surprised to see a flicker of fear in her eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he had the tip of the sword resting lightly against her pale neck. She froze, and her expression relaxed, as if she had become suddenly calm. Her eyes flickered down the length of the blade, paying no heed to the man who held it. Annoyance flared in his mind. She was _ignoring_ him. He ever so slightly increased the pressure against her neck as he growled, "Where are you going?"

She swallowed, then flinched as the tip of the sword barely punctured her flesh. A small line of crimson trickled slowly down her pale neck. Yet she said nothing.

"Where is it?" Zoro snarled. "I won't let you get away until you tell me where the Log Post is."

A scream punctured the still air as Luffy discovered the state that Usopp was in. Zoro heard the small boy's footsteps approaching behind him. He didn't think anything of it until he saw the girl's eyes widen and he heard the tell-tale battle cry of "GOMU-GOMU NOOOOOO…"

Spinning around, he shouted, "Luffy, WAIT!"

But it was too late. A rubbery fist shot by him, slamming into the white haired girl's stomach. She flew over the railing of the ship and dropped like a rock.

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><p>Hikari didn't comprehend what had happened until she was flying through the air. She hadn't expected that kid to be able to hit her from so far away. She hadn't expected to be knocked over the railing. She was far from prepared to deal with any of this. By the time she had wrapped her mind around it all, her fate was sealed. She was falling to the deep blue expanse of ocean below her.<p>

She hit the water hard. It _hurt_. She struggled to stay above the pulsing blue waves that crashed about her head, but she was sinking, dragged down by the demons of the deep. The strength faded from her limbs as she sunk deeper and deeper. She sucked in one, final breath before she sunk below the waves.

Hikari began to panic. She thrashed, beat at the water around her as if it was an angry mob. But her efforts were in vain. She sunk further and further, the light fading around her, the water pressing in against her. Her lungs screaming for air, she turned her head to face the light above. She could see the blurry outline of the pirate ship above her, quickly fading into the blackness. She used the last ounce of her strength to stretch her hand towards the ship, as if she could somehow grab hold. She tried to scream in frustration, but she only succeeded in expelling all of her remaining air supply.

_So _this_ is how I die? _She though bitterly as her vision faded to black. _Of all the ways to die, I get drowning. Fabulous…_

… _I wish I had more time…_

Then everything went black.

Suddenly, a strong, calloused hand grabbed her still outstretched limb, and she felt her body begin to rise. The pressure around her lessened, and the light beating through her half-closed eyelids quickly intensified. A second hand wrapped around her waist and she surfaced, choking on the air that suddenly flooded her lungs.

The world spun, and as everything began to fade, she heard the all-too familiar growl of the swordsman's voice next to her ear, muttering, "Stupid Hammers… Fuckin' drowning right and left…"

She drifted away into sweet unconsciousness.

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><p>TBC<p>

Comments and suggestions are always appreciated.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Recovery

Thanks once again to everyone who's been reading this! I really appreciate that you're willing to read my story and that you put up with my rants!

Not a super long rant this time, since I gotta hurry and go write a paper... T_T

Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

I do, however, own Hikari. :3

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><p>Black surrounded her, pressing in from all sides, crushing her.<p>

She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. She desperately tried to scream for help, for someone, _anyone_, to save her. But the darkness pressed in further, forced itself down her throat, suffocating her.

She dimly felt strong hands hoisting her up, felt solid ground underneath her as someone laid her down.

Voices echoed around her, murmuring unintelligibly.

The strong hands pushed against her chest, willing her to breathe.

A firm mouth pressed against hers, forcing air into her screaming lungs.

The blackness wavered, and dissipated. Her eyes flickered open momentarily, and she saw a flash of green.

The world faded, and sweet sleep swept over her aching body.

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><p>Hikari slowly opened her eyes. She squinted against the unnaturally bright light. It took a moment for her muddled brain to realize that she was staring directly into a fluorescent light. Blinking, she tilted her head to the side and gazed at the room around her. She was lying on a cot in what appeared to be a medical room. Bottles were lined up inside the many cabinets. Several plants that she couldn't identify were strewn across the counter, along with several tools, which she supposed were for making medicines. She frowned, not remembering being taken to this room. What had happened? She tried to remember, filing through her fuzzy memories. She sat up slowly, rubbing her head as it throbbed in protest.<p>

Suddenly, a brown blur shot through the door and knocked her back onto the bed. The room spun, and she could barely make out the small fuzzy brown creature sitting on top of her, screaming shrilly.

"YOU'RE STILL INJURED! YOU SHOULDN'T BE MOVING YET! WAIT UNTIL I CHECK YOU FOR INJURES! ARE YOUFEELING ALRIGHT? HOW'S YOUR HEAD? ARE YOU FEELING ILL?" the creature (a tanuki, she assumed) babbled in her general direction. She opened her mouth to answer, but the tanuki yelped and dashed over to his desk, muttering under his breath. Hikari slowly sat back up, staring apprehensively at the creature's bright pink hat. A light chuckle from the doorway caught her attention. She turned, and saw the black haired woman standing in the doorway with a small smile on her face.

"Chopper-san," she spoke calmly. "You really shouldn't get your patient so worked up."

The tanuki spun around, and grinned. "Robin-chan!" Chopper chirped. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Franky and the others! When did you all get back?"

"We arrived a few minutes ago," Robin said. "We picked up the package as Nami-san requested." The woman's dark eyes flickered over to Hikari for a moment, then returned to the doctor. "Chopper-san, do you mind if I speak to Hikari-chan for a moment?"

Hikari froze. How did she know her name? She had kept her identity a secret from everyone. No one knew her real name. So how had this woman found out?

Chopper scowled at Robin and put his hooves on his hips. "Alright," he huffed. "But don't get her too riled up. She's still suffering from almost drowning." With that, he scurried out of the room.

Robin gazed after the doctor's retreating silhouette. She turned, a small smile flickered across her face as she walked over and handed Hikari the pack that she was carrying. "I think this belongs to you."

Hikari started as she realized that the bag in her hands was indeed hers. Yanking on the drawstrings, she dumped the contents on her lap. She sighed in relief after checking that nothing was missing. Robin pulled a chair next to the cot and seated herself. She clasped her hands before her and locked her gaze on the white haired girl. The two sat in silence.

"I won't ask what you were aiming to do with the Log Pose. I don't even want an explanation," Robin began quietly. "I simply ask that you return what is rightfully ours." Hikari fixed her gaze on the far wall, refusing to make eye contact. She jumped as she felt the woman's fingers brushing lightly across the band on her wrist.

"This is made of kairoseki," she stated. "I guessed as much when you didn't immediately escape from the ship." Robin paused for a moment, her eyes narrowed. "We can help you, you know. If you give us the Log Post, we can remove that band. You just have to _trust_ us."

Hikari dropped her gaze. How could she possibly trust these people? They were _pirates_. On top of that, she had never trusted anyone before. It was far better to not let anyone into her heart…

Robin stood and walked silently over to the door. She stopped, and glanced back. "Your weapons are in the hold. We will give them back once you fully recover. Also, you should thank Swordsman-san. After all, he saved your life."

Hikari froze. The muddled memories came flooding back. She remembered the ocean, the blackness smothering her, the strong hands that saved her, the firm lips that gave her breath. She blushed, raised her hand and brushed her fingers over her lips. Why? Why had he saved her? She was an enemy, a threat to the crew. A simple Log Post wasn't worth that much… was it?

* * *

><p>Hikari stepped tentatively out onto the deck and squinted up at the sun. Several days had passed since she had almost drowned. She would have been up and about sooner, but Chopper had kept her in bed until he was convinced she had fully recovered.<p>

She gazed across the deck, surveying the activities of the various crew members. In the past few days, she had come to discover exactly how crazy these pirates were. Luffy was currently chasing Chopper and Usopp around the deck. Nami and Robin were lounging on lawn chairs, while Sanji doted on their every whim and desire. Franky was fine-tuning his latest invention. Brook was perched on the upper deck, laughing at the plight of Chopper and Usopp. And Zoro…

Zoro was, surprisingly, nowhere to be seen. Hikari was a bit worried, as normally he would be lounging on the deck, but she put the thought out of her mind. She had made it a point to avoid the swordsman since the _incident_. Shouldering her pack, she began to make her way towards the hold. Robin's airy voice rang out across the deck as she called: "Oh, Shiro-san. If you're looking for your weapons, we've moved them to the training room, just below the crow's nest. I believe Swordsman-san is up there now."

Hikari cursed under her breath. She didn't want to confront the swordsman, but it seemed she had no choice. Steeling herself, she made her way up the spiraling stairs to the training room.

Opening the door, she found Zoro in the middle of a workout, lifting an impossibly heavy weight. He stopped for a moment as she walked into the room, then continued his reps as if she wasn't there. Hikari found herself gaping at the sight of Zoro's chiseled body, glistening with sweat. She stood in the doorway for a moment, admiring the swordsman, until he growled, "Your stuff's in the corner."

Snapping out of her daze, she purposefully made her way across the room, keeping her gaze away from the swordsman's deep green eyes. She found her belongings piled in the corner of the room. Seating herself in the corner, she proceeded to examine each of her blades individually. Across the room, Zoro finished his set of reps and slammed the weight down, momentarily distracting Hikari. She glanced up. Zoro had grabbed a towel and was wiping the sweat from his brow. His eyes met hers, and she quickly looked away. She continued to check her knives, trying to ignore the footsteps headed towards her. Finishing with the knives, she gazed over at her last, and most valuable, blade.

The katana sat propped up against the wall, its blood-red sheath a stark contrast to the light brown wood around it. She lightly brushed her fingers across the maroon woven fabric across the hilt, feeling the course material, worn with age. Grasping the hilt with her right hand, she drew the sword, relishing in the ringing of the metal blade. She held it up, running her left hand carefully along the blade, checking for any cracks or scratches. She could feel the swordsman's eyes boring into her, but she ignored it.

"'S a good sword," he finally spoke, shattering the silence. Hikari's eyes flickered up to meet his, then returned to the blade. She spun the sword idly in her hands.

"Nidai Kitetsu," she murmured. Zoro blinked, staring down at the sword in her hands. "A Kitetsu?" he asked, frowning. "They're all cursed, right?"

Hikari held the blade so that it lay flat on her palms. She closed her eyes, and felt the blade lightly humming. She felt the curse's power resonating along the gleaming metal, urging her to take it into battle, to maim and kill, to sate its driving bloodlust. She instinctively curled her fingers around the blade, as if she could somehow stifle the sword's power. She opened her eyes and nodded at Zoro. "All Kitetsu blades are cursed. I figured you would know that, seeing as you have one."

"I didn't think you used swords."

Hikari glanced back up at the swordsman, cocking her eyebrow as she did. "You're kidding, right?" she scoffed. "I use _blades_ to fight. That means _any_ blade, idiot."

Zoro's eyes narrowed. "Stop calling me idiot," he growled. "You're starting to sound like that shit-cook."

Hikari sneered. "I'll call you what I damn well want to call you. I'm not a part of this damn crew."

A flash, and then the tip of a sword hovered before her. She seemed to be getting into this situation a lot lately. "I'd watch what you say if I were you. I could kill you if I wanted to," Zoro snarled.

Hikari locked her gaze with him, and asked simply, "So why don't you?"

Zoro blinked. He remained frozen, a confused look on his face. Hikari kept her gaze steady, willing him to be the first to look away. Slowly, he lowered his sword, frowning as he did. Hikari calmly collected her weapons, placing them gently in her pack. She stood up, sheathing the katana still clutched in her hand. She walked towards the door, keeping her posture stiff, determined not to show any weakness. At the open doorway, she stopped, and turned her head slightly back towards the swordsman.

"Thanks… for saving me," she murmured. The swordsman jerked and spun towards her, but she was already gone.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism is always appreciated and accepted!


	5. Recruited or Enslaved

So my computer got a virus this past week, and I couldn't work on any of my projects, including this one. So if this chapter seems a bit... discontinuous(?), I apologize. I had this chapter half-written before my computer crashed.

I really appreciate everyone who's been favoriting and commenting. I'm actually an engineering student, so writing isn't exactly my strong point. I'm glad that you all enjoy this so much!

If you didn't happen to know (and if I didn't explain this earlier), kairoseki means "Sea Stone". The actual translation is something really long and complicated, so I'll just leave it at Sea Stone. But it's basically a substance that can negate a Devil Fruit user's abilities. If a Devil Fruit user comes in contact with this stuff, it's the equivalent of them falling in the ocean. Minus the drowning part.

Just thought I should explain that.

Anywho, here's the next chapter. I may not update for a while, since I have about 20 different projects to work on. :/

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>Nami sighed contentedly. The sun's warm rays beat down on her face, warming her to the core. A slight breeze blew gently from the southwest, keeping the navigator at a moderately comfortable temperature. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and sank further into the lawn chair. Everything would be perfect, if only she had the Log Pose…<p>

A slight frown creased her brow. That damn white haired thief. She was causing so much trouble. They would already be on to the next island now if it wasn't for her. Without the Log Post, they were literally dead in the water. They had no way of knowing which direction to head towards. Nami could feel the restlessness of the crew. Everyone was eager to move on. They all wanted to explore, yes, but there was more to it. Anxiousness permeated the excitement for adventure. Everyone knew that if they stayed for too long, the Marines would find them, and would force them into a corner. They had nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. They were vulnerable.

Nami sighed, trying to push these thoughts from her mind. If only they had the Log Post… Then all their problems would be solved.

As that simple thought crossed her mind, something light fell into her lap. She scowled. "Luffy," she huffed. "I told you, I don't want to play."

She heard a derisive snort, then someone plopped down in the grass near the railing. "I don't recall my name being Luffy," an unfamiliar voice drawled.

Nami jerked up, her eyes flying open. The white haired thief was sitting cross-legged on the grass, her arms crossed defiantly across her chest. She stared at Nami, as if she was expecting something.

"What do you want?" Nami snapped. The white haired girl kept her gaze leveled on the navigator.

"You aren't gonna look at it?" she asked, a flash of apprehension crossing her face. Nami hesitated, remembering the item that had been dropped unceremoniously into her lap. She turned her gaze to the item, and froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she cradled the stolen Log Post in her hands. She turned slowly to look at the white haired girl. Brown eyes met sea grey ones, and at that moment, the navigator saw herself reflected in those eyes. She saw beneath the tough façade, to the fear, the apprehension, the helplessness below. She suddenly realized how tired those grey eyes seemed.

"Nothing to say?" Hikari asked quietly. "Not even thanks?"

Nami clutched the Log Post tighter in her hand. "Why? Why give it back?"

Hikari held Nami's shocked gaze for a moment longer, then closed her eyes. "I'm tired," she sighed. "Tired of running. Tired of hiding. Just… tired." She slowly leaned her head back until it rested lightly against the smooth wood railing.

Nami sat silently for a moment, then stood up, the Log Post still clutched in her hand. She turned towards the cabin, towards the chatter of the crew. She hesitated for a fraction of a second.

"I would hurry if I were you," Hikari's voice echoed out behind her. "The Marines are on their way here."

At this, Nami sprinted towards the rest of the crew, shouting, "LUFFY! EVERYONE! GET THE SHIP READY TO GO! WE NEED TO SET SAIL NOW!"

Nami took one last glance behind her as the crew slowly gathered on the deck. That white haired girl was a mystery, no doubt, but she wasn't as heartless as she had first seemed. Nami narrowed her eyes, and a small smile flitted across her face. Now it was a challenge. She was determined to get to the bottom of the enigma that was Hikari Oshiro.

* * *

><p>Several exhausting hours later, the crew had gathered in the galley. Everyone was worn out from trying to hurriedly escape the Marines. Even Sanji and Zoro weren't trying to take each other's heads off. Nami took a quick glance around the room, checking to make sure that everyone was present. She held the Log Post behind her back, obscured from view. Clearing her throat, she began to speak.<p>

"Obviously you guys are wondering why I called you all here," she began, ignoring the grumbling of the tired crew. She paused, trying to think of how to best continue, when Luffy, who was currently slouched across the table, whined, "Well, yeaaaaaaaaaah! You're delaying diiiiiinnerrrrrr…"

Nami shot him a glare that would cause any normal man to stop dead, and continued. "I called you here because we have something important to discuss. We need to figure out what to do with Hikari Oshiro."

Everybody in the room was taken by surprise. They had not been expecting Nami to even want to touch on the subject, much less bring it up for debate. Glancing past everyone to the galley doors, Nami called out, "You can come in now."

The door slowly swung open, and Hikari walked in warily. Every one of the crewmembers stiffened. Zoro practically went rigid, his right hand curling over the hilt of Wadou Ichimonji, a small snarl issuing from between his clenched teeth. Several of the others hissed and backed away. Only Robin and Luffy seemed unfazed by her presence. Her eyes darting around the room, Hikari slowly made her way over to where Nami stood. Her steps were rigid, and her entire body was tensed. Nami noticed that her left hand was clenched on the hilt of a sword strapped to her waist, her knuckles almost white. In that moment, Nami realized how vulnerable she had made Hikari, and silently cursed her choice of tactics. The white haired girl might try to flee, or worse, might try to kill someone.

Hikari finally stood slightly behind Nami, and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms across her chest. Nami glanced back at her, then continued. "As you know, she stole the Log Post from us, for whatever reason." The crew glared at the white haired girl, and Nami could feel the body behind her tense even more, if that was even possible. "But," she continued, bracing herself for their reactions. "This afternoon, she warned me about the Marines coming for us."

Pulling her arms out from behind her back, she revealed the Log Post dangling from her hand. "And she returned this."

The crew was silent for a moment. They all stared in shock, not truly comprehending what Nami had just uttered.

"Wh-what?" Usopp cried, breaking everyone out of their reverie. "Why would she do that?"

"It's in my best interest," Hikari replied, startling everyone. Up till now, she had remained silent, not speaking unless it was absolutely necessary. Apparently, now she had deemed it fitting to break her silence, if only to defend herself. "It's not like I can escape," she reminded them, waving her left hand in the air, the dark grey kairoseki band presenting a stark contrast against her pale skin. "I'm stuck here. If you get caught, I get caught. Simple as that."

An uneasy silence fell across the crew as they saw the logic in her argument.

Nami cleared her throat to call attention back to herself. "Which is why we need to deal with this now. Now that we have the Log Post back, we can really figure out what to do with you," Nami spoke carefully, turning her gaze towards Hikari. Hikari's eyes narrowed at the implied meaning of those words, but she kept her jaw clamped shut, offering no protest. "Let's tally your crimes, shall we? You've stolen the Log Post from us…"

"I returned it," Hikari growled through her clenched teeth. "So that's already been negated."

Nami waved it off. "You also forced us to rescue you, and to waste our valuable time looking for your belongings."

"You didn't have to rescue me," the white haired girl shot back.

"But we did," Robin interrupted. "If we hadn't saved you, we wouldn't have been able to get the Log Post back."

"In short, you owe us your life," Nami smirked, relishing in the girl's expression as the blood drained from her face. "Normally I'd convert that to a Beri amount, which you'd have to pay off, or we'd just have Zoro deal with you -" At this, the swordsman gave a wicked grin and loosened one of his swords.

"BUT," Nami half-shouted, glaring at Zoro. "We're not going to do that this time."

Everyone looked at Nami like she had gone completely and certifiably insane.

"WHAT?" Several of the crew shouted simultaneously, leaping up from their seats. It took a great deal of screaming on Nami's part, and some "persuasion" from Robin, to get everyone settled down.

Nami huffed in frustration, turning back to Hikari, who had watched the whole scene in silent bemusement.

"Right, so we're not going to kill you, or make you pay us, since I'm pretty sure you don't have any money or valuables. Instead, you're going to pay off your debt with your body."

Zoro spat out the sake he had been chugging. Sanji, who had begun to fix dinner, dropped the plate he was carrying. Usopp and Chopper laughed, then did a double take when the meaning of her statement hit home.

"Wh-what?" Hikari spluttered, her face turning a bright shade of crimson.

Nami groaned, realizing all too late what everyone had thought she meant. "Nononono… That's not what I meant. I meant that she'd be doing work on the ship. Helping us out when we need an extra hand."

Sanji and the others sighed, relieved that Nami seemed to have come remotely back to her senses.

"HOOOOOOOOOLD ON, NAMI!" Luffy shouted, banging his hands on the table. "You can't just recruit nakama without my approval!"

"Captain," Nami crooned, giving the boy her most innocent, puppy-dog stare. "I would NEVER recruit a nakama without your permission. But if Hikari-chan becomes our nakama, there will be less work for you to do. You understand, right?"

Luffy frowned as the gears slowly turned in his head and he dwelled on what his navigator was suggesting. His mouth made an "o", and Nami swore she could see the light bulb click on in his head as he understood.

"YOSH!" the young captain shouted. Leaping off the table, he landed mere inches in front of the very confused and startled Hikari. Gripping her by the shoulders and jerking her forward, he stared intently into her eyes. "You're our nakama now, got it?" he said, a level of seriousness penetrating his usual boisterousness. Hikari blinked, still trying to comprehend what had just happened, and nodded slowly. The intense expression left his face, replaced by a huge toothy grin. "Good!" he chirped, releasing her, and skipping off. The rest of the crew stared after him, reminded once again of how big an idiot he could be, and began to file out of the galley to continue with their previous activities.

"Well, that's that, I suppose," Nami smiled, pleased with how well things had gone. "Hey, slave," she snapped at Hikari, who was attempting to retreat back to the safety of the deck. "I need some boxes moved."

"I ain't doing shit for you," Hikari snarled, stopping a few feet from the navigator.

A cruel smile curved across the navigator's face. Hikari noticed the slight change in her posture, the glint in her eyes, the look on her face, and backed up until her back was pressed against the wall. Nami walked slowly towards the white haired girl, invading her personal space till there was mere inches between them.

"I just spared your life," Nami whispered. "So you should be doing whatever the hell I tell you to do, or I'll end that miserable life of yours." Hikari was paralyzed, afraid to draw in breath lest she set off the monster that stood before her. Nami stepped back, an innocent smile replacing the smirk on her face.

"Now, let's get to moving those boxes, shall we?"

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always welcome!


	6. Breakdown

Hey everyone!

I'm updating so soon after last chapter because I was, admittedly, avoiding writing a paper. I already had about half of this chapter written about a month ago, so I decided it was time to use it. Sorry if it seems to jump around. I _really_ wanted to write this in.

I absolutely _love_ Greek literature. The stories and the characters always caught my attention. I especially like the gods, because despite them being immortal, they often personify a specific human trait. Plus, they're pretty badass.

God, I'm such a nerd.

Anyway, one story I really love is the story of Icarus. I mention it in here, but if you don't happen to know the story, here's the basics:

Icarus and his father, Daedalus, were trapped on Crete. Daedalus creates these enormous wings made of feathers and wax for them to use to fly off the island. He warns his son not to fly too close to the sun, lest the wax melt and he fall to his death. Of course, the rush of flying causes Icarus to forget his father's warning and he tries to fly as high as he can. The sun's rays melts the wax, and he falls to his death.

So, yeah. If you want to know more, there's tons of sites that have more information than I do.

I initially based Hikari's Devil Fruit ability (which if you didn't pick up the hint that she has one, now you know) on Icarus's flight. I wanted an ability to make giant wings and fly, for short distances. But I changed it to a Zoan bird type. It's easier. And I'm lazy. :P

But yeah, I'm a total nerd who makes characters based on ancient Greek stories.

Now that I'm done ranting and boring everyone, here's the next chapter. Also, I need to go write my paper.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, or any other things that I might reference in this fic.

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>The sea was like glass, so calm that for a moment everyone thought that they had accidentally sailed into the calm belt. The Thousand Sunny sat still in the middle of the ocean, no waves to rock her, no breeze to urge her on. The sun beat down on the ship and her crew, and with no breeze and no clouds, there was no reprieve from the heat.<p>

Zoro groaned. He was currently sprawled out on the deck, squinting unhappily up at the sky. It was far too hot to train; even he was aware of the danger of heat exhaustion, and while he wanted to get stronger, he didn't want to die in the process. Everyone else was grumpy and he really didn't want to be around the rest of the crew either. Normally he would be asleep right now, but it was so hot that he just couldn't relax enough to go to sleep. There was nothing he could do, and the heat was annoying him. Closing his eyes, he tried to relax and think of someplace cooler. He was in the process of imagining the bitter cold of Chopper's home island when he heard footsteps approaching him. Cracking open one eye, he saw Hikari standing above him with a bemused expression on her face.

"What?" he grumbled. Hikari just shook her head.

"You're weird, you know that?" she sighed, handing him a cold bottle. "Here, Cook-san told me to give you this."

"Shit-cook did?" Zoro asked as he sat up and took a swig from the bottle. To his disappointment, it was only water. "Why?"

Hikari shrugged. "Dunno. Said something about keeping you from killing yourself from dehydration." She leaned against the railing, gazing out across the sea.

Zoro glanced at Hikari. He had been surprised with how quickly everyone had gotten used to her presence. She had only been on the ship for a week, and yet almost everyone spoke to her as if she had always been there. It did help that every time someone asked her to do something, she would do it without hesitation. Whatever Nami had said to her had worked. She still grumbled complaints about every task, but she always did them, which surprised Zoro. She seemed to be the strong, defiant type, not someone who would submit so easily… Zoro narrowed his eyes and took another swig of the water before continuing his silent analysis of the girl.

Her brown was slightly furrowed, as if something was troubling her. Her left hand rested on the railing, slender fingers drummed a beat on the weathered wood. He noticed her other hand was resting atop the kairoseki band around her left wrist, pulling at it absentmindedly. He wondered how it must be, to be completely powerless.

Well, not _completely_ powerless. He smirked slightly as he recalled her combat abilities. He had demanded she spar with him, and she hadn't disappointed him. Their spar had lasted for nearly an hour, and had only ended because the shit-cook had gotten in the way. Her sword fighting skills were top notch, despite the fact that she insisted she wasn't a swordsman. He actually didn't mind having her on the ship, as long as he could spar with her.

Zoro frowned, suddenly wondering why he was spending so much time thinking about this strange girl. He hadn't noticed much that stood out about Hikari. Well, other than her hair. That was a given. But aside from that, she was ordinary, he supposed. Sure, she was decent at fighting, which was a plus. And confident. And somewhat good looking. He scoffed at himself, shaking his head. He really had been on this ship for too long. But as he sat trying to not think about what intrigued him, he noticed her eyes. At the current moment, her sea-grey eyes were focused on some distant point. Zoro had come to discover that Hikari hardly ever revealed anything about herself, but the sea grey depths showed so much of her true personality. When Usopp accidentally set off his explosives and ran around the ship on fire, she had simply scoffed. But her eyes sparkled with unspoken laughter. When Nami had forced her to move boxes for the umpteenth time, she had sighed lightly and obeyed, but her eyes burned with annoyance. He supposed that in her case, they truly were windows to her soul.

The silence between them seemed to last an eternity, both lost in their own thoughts. A screeching cry from above caused both to glance up. A lone seagull circled overhead, its wings outstretched as is tried to catch an upward draft. Hikari smiled slightly, a small laugh escaped her lips. Zoro cocked an eyebrow at her. "What's so funny?"

Hikari just shook her head. "It's nothing. I just remembered an old story that someone told me."

Zoro grunted. "Care to share?"

Hikari glanced at the swordsman, then returned her gaze to the sea. She was quiet, and Zoro was beginning to wonder if she was planning on answering his question when she softly spoke:

"Icarus left his guide and, drawn by a desire to reach the heavens, took his course too high. The burning heat of the nearby sun softened the scented wax that fastened the wings and the wax melted. Icarus moved his arms now uncovered, and without the wings to drive him on, vainly beat the air. The sea received Icarus and from him took its name."

Zoro silently stared at Hikari. She continued to look out across the sea, an almost sad expression on her face. He tore his gaze from her, finishing off his drink.

"Oi," Zoro finally spoke, deciding to change the subject so as to get rid of the uncomfortable silence. "Why are you always staring at birds? You like them or something?"

Hikari rolled her eyes. "As if, idiot. That's my ability."

Zoro stared at her like she had gone insane. "Your… what?"

She groaned and shook her head. "I can fly, dumbass. I ate the Tori Tori no Mi."

Zoro blinked. "Oh." A moment of silence. "So that's it? 'S kinda lame."

The next thing he knew, he felt Hikari's boot slam into the side of his head. Surprised, he stared open-mouthed at a clearly furious Hikari.

"The fuck was that for?" he shouted, rubbing the side of his head.

"For being a complete and total idiot!" she spat, her fists clenched by her side. "Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with this ship? All of you run around like you don't have a care in the world, and here I am, stuck with you IDIOTS until you decide I've outlived my usefulness!"

Zoro was shocked. He had never seen her so infuriated. Even when they bossed her around and gave her crap jobs, she had always kept a mask of calm indifference. Now that mask was gone, replaced by a raging fury that rivaled even Nami's angry glares.

The rest of the crew had silently padded out to see what all the noise was. Now they stood at a distance, quietly watching the raging storm that was Hikari Oshiro.

"I don't understand you at all! How can you put up with this crap? I've almost died at least 5 different times in this past week! And yet you all act like it's no big deal!" Hikari screamed, shaking visibly from rage. "My _entire _life has been turned upside down, all because some jackass told me to steal some stupid compass from your damn ship!"

Dead silence fell over the ship after she had finished.

Zoro froze when he realized that somewhere in her rant, Hikari had started to cry. Angry tears streamed down her face. Quickly realizing, she swiped the back of her hand across her face, attempting to dry her eyes.

"So that's why," Zoro heard Nami murmur from somewhere behind her. He heard soft footsteps as Luffy walked up to Hikari and stood silently before her.

"Shiro," the captain spoke softly, surprising everyone. Hikari looked up at him, her bloodshot eyes wide in surprise. "It's gonna be alright. I'm gonna beat up the people who made you do this."

"Why?" she managed to choke out. "I'm a potential enemy. I beat up one of your crew. I don't even want to be here. So why are you helping me?"

Luffy smiled. "You didn't want to do all that stuff, right? So it's not your fault. Besides, you're my nakama now. And I won't let anyone hurt my nakama."

Zoro once again marveled at how his stupid captain could, at times when they needed it most, be so commanding and sincere. Standing up, he brushed himself off and stood next to the captain. "He's right. Like it or not, you're one of us now. And we protect our own."

Hikari shook her head and laughed bitterly. "You all are the biggest bunch of idiots I have ever seen."

The swordsman and the young captain exchanged a glance, and both grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah," Zoro laughed. "But we're the best idiots you'll ever find."

"Well!" the red-headed navigator smiled, walking down from the upper deck. "This has been quite informative. We found out the real cause behind Hikari-san's cruel plot against us." Hikari scowled at Nami, but the navigator ignored her and clapped her hands together.

"So! Let's get to plotting our revenge, shall we?"


	7. Take Off

Woo! Another chapter!

I like how I keep blowing off homework to write fanfiction.

It's becoming a problem. Maybe.

But I really couldn't care. Otherwise I'd be looking up memes on the Internet. And surfing Reddit.

I NEED TO FOCUS.

ANYWHO. I love all of you who put up with my rants and random plot holes and twists and loop-di-loops...

Yeah. Kudos. I don't know how you all do it.

I need to go continue slacking off. Maybe I'll be less hyperactive and random when I post the next chapter.

So here we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>Hikari sucked in a huge breath in an attempt to calm herself down. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine something peaceful, something serene…<p>

Her calm was shattered by the hiss of a blade against the whetstone, reminding her of why she was panicking in the first place. Her eyes snapped open to look at the giant shipwright's back.

"Isn't there a better way to do this?" she whined, twisting in the seat and trying to find a way to escape.

"Nope!" Franky boomed in his cheerful voice. "We need to get that band off your arm, right? So this is the only option."

"But cutting it off?" Hikari blanched, visualizing every possible way this could go wrong, especially with that giant of a man handling the blade. "Can't we just wait till we get to the Ryūnoichizoku's base? I could find the key…"

"NO," Nami's harsh voice cut off any alternative that Hikari could have come up with. "We are NOT risking you running away once you get there. No matter what Luffy says, I still don't trust you."

"Well, I don't see how getting the kairoseki band off is going to help," Hikari snapped. "It'll just make it easier for me to escape."

"ESCAPE?" a high pitched voice rang out across the deck, and seconds later, the young captain came crashing into the room, finally coming to a stop at Hikari's feet. Pulling himself up into a sitting position, he pouted, asking, "What would you wanna escape for?"

"Er…" Hikari blinked, taken aback by how hurt the captain looked at her suggestion. And dammit, if those puppy dog eyes weren't getting to her… Grumbling under her breath, she looked away. Luffy laughed and clapped. "See? You can't come up with any reason! So we shouldn't be worried!"

Franky straightened up, holding the strange circular blade up, inspecting it for any cracks or uneven edges. Hikari was reminded of the situation she was in. She shifted in the chair, tense and ready to run. "Super! We're ready to go!" he grinned, spinning the blade experimentally.

Robin quickly pinned Hikari to the chair to keep her from flying out of the room. She shot a glare at the shipwright, and then returned to focusing her ability on keeping the white haired girl in the seat.

Panic shot through Hikari's mind. She wasn't quite sure why she was panicking to begin with. She was calm when she was fighting. Maybe it was due to the fact that she was unarmed and completely vulnerable, with a giant of a man standing over her holding what appeared to be a circular saw… At any rate, her fight-or-flight instincts had kicked in, and every cell in her body was screaming at her to run away.

"Why are you all being so noisy?" a gruff voice called out from the doorway. She didn't need to look to know that it was the swordsman. A cruel grin spread across his face as he took in the whole scene. "Well," he laughed. "Looks like tough girl isn't so tough after all…"

"Shut up!" she snarled, her face coloring. She really wasn't afraid, she tried vainly to convince herself. She was just interested in self-preservation. Yes, that was it. Self-preservation. As Franky tried to get her to hold still, she squirmed away, making every attempt to complicate things. After about 5 minutes of everyone trying to get her to calm down, and Zoro simply standing off to the side laughing, Nami finally called out, "ZORO! Help us out and distract her!"

The swordsman looked at Hikari and glanced back at the navigator. "And what do you expect _me_ to be able to do?" he drawled.

"ANYTHING. I honestly couldn't care," Nami shouted. "Just distract her!"

Zoro turned his gaze back to the scene before him. With a sigh, he pushed himself off of the door frame, and walked over to Hikari.

Still struggling and trying to escape, Hikari didn't notice that the swordsman was approaching until he was right in front of her. She noticed his black boots and froze. She could feel his gaze boring into her skull. Hikari slowly lifted her gaze to meet his. His eyes burned with an intensity she hadn't seen before. The world around her dropped away, and she felt like she was drowning in a deep emerald sea, the air being forced from her lungs. Try as she might, she just couldn't pull her gaze away.

One calloused hand held her left arm still. Hikari instinctively flinched away when Zoro leaned in towards her. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered, "What are you afraid of?" She shivered as the words ghosted across her ear, sending a thrill down her spine. He pulled back, and gazed into her eyes once again, a frown furrowing his brow. Hikari stared at the swordsman apprehensively, wondering what he was debating in his head. He finally sighed, and before she knew what had happened, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own.

Time stopped. Hikari was frozen, her brain refusing to comprehend what was happening. At that moment, the rest of the world seemed to fall away, leaving nothing but Zoro. Zoro's hand on her arm. Zoro's lips on her own. Zoro's taste on her tongue. She didn't hear Sanji screaming bloody murder. She didn't hear Luffy and Usopp howling with laughter. She didn't hear the saw as Franky cut away the kairoseki band on her wrist.

There was only Zoro.

And what frightened her the most was that it all felt so _right_.

After what seemed like an eternity, Zoro slowly pulled away. Hikari sucked in a deep breath, reveling in the energy pulsing through her body, although she wasn't sure if it was from the band being removed from her wrist, or from the kiss. She glanced down at her wrist and flexed her hand.

Zoro laughed. She turned her gaze towards his face, and he grinned slyly down at her. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Hikari felt her face sear with heat, and she turned her gaze away, scowling instead at the wall. "You can let me go now, Robin," she muttered, twisting against the many hands that still held her.

"Of course," the black haired woman smiled, and the hands released their prisoner. Hikari slowly stood, enjoying the feeling of power once again pulsing through her veins. She suddenly felt a need to run, to jump, to do _something_.

"Hey, hey!" Luffy whined. "Aren't ya gonna show us what your ability is?"

Hikari blinked at the captain's forwardness, a small smile curving across her face. "Sure," she said, walking to the deck. She'd give them what they wanted: a show.

She strode across the deck, stopping on the ship's grassy lawn. She rolled her shoulders, stretching muscles that she hadn't used in months. Finally, she closed her eyes, and exhaled, channeling the power, commanding it to spread out behind her. She heard the soft flutter of feathers, felt the light caress of breeze that was all too familiar, and yet so foreign at the same time. She smiled as she heard Luffy and the others gasp as she spread her wings to their fullest. Opening her eyes, she turned to face them, folding her wings neatly behind her.

"AMAZING!" Luffy, Usopp and Chopper screamed in unison, practically flying as they ran towards her.

"Hikari-swan looks like an angel!" Sanji swooned, his eyes suddenly transforming into hearts.

Nami gaped, seemingly dumbstruck by the sight before her. "Can… can you really fly?"

Hikari rolled her eyes at Nami. "No, they're just for show," she drawled. "Of course I can fly, you fool."

Luffy's eyes grew to the size of medium-sized melons. "REALLY?" he shouted, bouncing up and down in excitement. "Showmeshowmeshowmeshowme!"

Snapping her wings back open, she slightly bent her knees and, with a strong beat of her wings, she launched herself high into the air. The wind created by the powerful down stroke knocked the hyperactive captain backwards. She felt the familiar rush of adrenaline through her body, the familiar touch of the wind against her face, pulling at her hair, flowing between her feathers. She laughed, looping through the air in tight circles. With nothing between her and the sky, for the first time in a long time, she felt _free._ She finally came to a stop; her powerful wings kept her hovering about twenty feet above the deck. She looked down at the crew, so tiny from so high up. A mixture of awe and amazement was painted across their faces. Her eyes darted across each of the crew one by one, her heart swelling with the thought that she alone had put them in this state. Finally, her eyes fell on the face of the green haired swordsman. He stared up at her, a look of awe present on his normally pensive face. But when she gazed into his eyes, she saw a primal desire burning in those dark emerald pools. She imagined this was what a bird felt like when it barely escaped the jaws of a hunting dog. He was looking at her like she was something to be claimed, the prize for a goal to surpass.

Tearing herself away from his smoldering gaze, she slowly descended back to the deck. Landing lightly on her feet, she was suddenly tackled by Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper. The group kept rolling until Hikari's head connected with the railing, sending stars across her vision. She could hardly understand the joyful babble of the three before her. With the help of a very angry cook, she managed to knock the captain and his companions away and make it to her feet. The rest of the crew swarmed around her, their conversation and laughter creating a warm embrace. Hikari smiled to herself as their contagious warmth spread throughout her body. She wasn't sure what it was, this curious feeling, but she was sure that it was something akin to being around family.

For the first time, she felt like she was truly at home.

"Alright, alright," Nami laughed, projecting her voice over top of the hubbub. "We've all had our fun now. It's time for us to lay some ground rules for Shiro."

Hikari scowled at her newly adopted nickname, but didn't protest. The rest of the crew snickered, but obeyed the navigator's orders.

"Now, since your powers are no longer restricted, we're going to limit what you can or can't do on the ship," Nami began, ignoring Hikari's attempt to interrupt. "There's only going to be one rule. You have to follow any order given to you by any senior crewmember. That includes Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji and myself."

"Oi, Nami!" Chopper protested. "What about the rest of us?"

"Ah, yeah, and you have to do whatever Chopper says, too," Nami said, absentmindedly waved Chopper's comment off. "But other than that, you're pretty much allowed to do whatever, so long as you don't get into trouble."

Hikari frowned, wondering silently how this would keep her on the ship.

"You are not allowed to leave the ship for any reason," Nami smirked, as if she had read Hikari's mind. She turned and walked toward her cabin, stopping to look over her shoulder. "And that's an order."

Hikari grumbled under her breath, all her former euphoria wilted by the navigator's one simple rule. She sighed, shaking her head before a small smile crept across her face. She would play along for now. But Hikari Oshiro was not one to quietly play along. She would find a loophole eventually.

And once she did, she was going to exploit the hell out of it.

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	8. Attack!

Huzzah! Another chapter!

Jeez, this one dragged... So I apologize if it sucks...

See, when I write, I have bits and pieces planned out, like the beginning and ending. But I have no clue as for what to do in the middle, which is kinda the important part.

:P

In other news, it's almost 2 AM, and I'm up writing this and listening to Legend of Zelda music.3

I need to sleep.

So like I said earlier, I dunno about this chapter. I wanted something from Zoro's perspective-ish, since I'm doing a more third-person thing.

And also, Hikari was going to have more awesome powers, but I didn't wanna make her too strong. She needs some weakness, right? Leaves room for character development and all that jazz.

So thus, she turns into a bird.

If you read the comments, you'll understand that I was swayed by commenters.

SEE? IF YOU COMMENT, I LISTEN AND THROW IT IN HERE.

But seriously, Margot-Eve, you do have a point. It is easier. I'm just gonna be lazy and not change the Fruit's name. XD

I'm going to stop ranting and go sleep now.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

I do own Hikari.

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><p>Zoro grumbled under his breath, stalking out of the training room. It had been nearly a week since Nami had pinpointed the location of the Ryūnoichizoku base, but they <em>still<em> hadn't arrived. He had been antsy for a while, and was dying to get into a good brawl. From what Hikari had told them, the Ryūnoichizoku were pretty tough, and he was expecting a good fight. But it was taking them _so long_ to get there.

He briefly wondered why he was so tense. He couldn't remember when the feeling had started, just that it felt like it had been going on for an eternity. Zoro racked his brain for an answer, as a certain white haired girl swooped by on her ivory wings.

Ah, that was it. It had started about a week ago, when _the incident_ had taken place. Since then, that damn woman had been a constant pain in his side. Several of the crewmembers had taken to teasing, and it was only causing the situation to worsen. Zoro himself really couldn't explain what had happened; he had just acted.

Shaking his head, Zoro tried to get his mind off his annoyance, only to find himself staring at a rapidly approaching, and rather large, pirate ship.

The galleon had somehow managed to silently glide up next to the Thousand Sunny. Zoro could hear Luffy screaming for everyone to get on the deck. He could see the motley crew of the other ship gathering on the deck. _They're going to try to board us,_ he realized. A feral grin spread across the swordsman's face. They could try, but he knew that the other pirates would never be able to set a foot on the grassy deck of the Thousand Sunny. He would make sure of that. Drawing his swords, he stood facing the galleon and her crew, waiting for the others to assemble.

The Straw Hats had barely all made it to the deck when they heard the familiar shout of "Gomu Gomu No Pistol!" and saw their captain go flying onto the deck of the opposing ship, taking the pirates by surprise. Their battle cry shouted for them, the Straw Hats leapt over after their captain, taking the offensive. Zoro relished in the battle, cutting down men right and left with relative ease. But no matter how many men he cut down, more seemed to spring forward to replace their fallen comrades. While none of the Straw Hats had gotten so much as a scratch on them, they were, surprisingly, being pushed back. Zoro knew the situation was getting desperate when he heard Nami call out to Hikari.

"Shiro! Help us out!" she screamed back at the Thousand Sunny between lightning strikes.

Zoro glanced back and saw Hikari lounging against the ship's main mast. "I thought I wasn't allowed to leave the ship," she smirked, clearly enjoying herself.

"Dammit, Hikari!" the navigator screeched. "If you don't come over here right now and help us out, I swear I'll kill you!"

Hikari's eyes glinted with laugher, but she kept a straight face as she said solemnly, "Is that an order?"

Nami responded by sending a bolt of lightning directly at the white haired girl's head.

"Guess that's a yes," Hikari laughed as she leapt nimbly out of the way. Snapping her wings out, she launched herself into the air, shooting toward the galleon. Zoro turned his attention back to the men before him as one of them came dangerously close to landing a blow. Deflecting it easily with his sword, Zoro gave him a blow of his own that sent him flying over the railing. Hikari had yet to land on the ship, which worried him until he noticed several archers aiming straight up. He supposed that they were what was preventing her from landing. Glancing up, he confirmed his theory; Hikari was dancing about, deftly dodging the arrows but unable, or unwilling, to descend. "Usopp!" he shouted over the tumult of the battle. Catching the sharpshooter's eye, he gestured toward the archers, silently commanding him to get rid of them. Usopp nodded, and drew back his slingshot when Luffy screamed, "Shirooooooo!"

The girl was plummeting to the deck, an arrow having found its target in her side. Everything seemed to slow as the swordsman watched the white haired girl tumbling through the air. His mind went blank, and for that one instant, something akin to fear raced through his body.

But right before the winged girl hit the deck, her wings snapped open, spinning her like a top in the air and knocking a large group of the pirates off their feet. Landing in a defensive crouch, Hikari grimaced as she pulled the arrow from her side and threw the metal barb to the side. Drawing her sword, she glared at the archers.

"Now you've pissed me off," she hissed. Springing forward, she raced toward the archers as they tried to hide in a larger group of pirates. Dancing around the flurry of attacks directed at her, she cut down wave after wave of pirates, her blade whistling through the air. Hikari's attacks flowed together in a flawless dance. Zoro watched for a moment, a mixture of awe and relief washing over him. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he finished off the group of swordsmen before him. With the help of Hikari's frenzied rage, they had managed to almost completely eliminate the crew. A mere 12 men were all that remained of a crew of around 100 men. The Straw Hats now surrounded the survivors, taking the moment to catch their breath, when a booming laugh reached their ears.

A tall, lean man stood on the upper level of the deck. His greasy black hair was slicked back out of his face, revealing his sneering grin. Out of the corner of his eye, Zoro noticed that Hikari tensed slightly when she noticed the man. Zoro decided he didn't like this man at all.

"Well done!" he drawled, clapping slowly. "But then again, I wouldn't have expected any less from the Straw Hat Pirates." He turned his dark gaze to meet Hikari's smoldering glare, feigning surprise. "And do my eyes deceive me? Is that you, Oshiro-san? We had all though you had died."

"Obviously not," she spat. "What do _you_ want, Hidora?"

"My, my, rude as ever," the man sighed, shaking his head. "As Oshiro-san has mentioned, I am Hidora, one of the Ryūnoichizoku underbosses. And as to what I am doing, I was only on my routine patrols of our territory." His expression darkened. "_You_ were the ones that encroached upon our territory. And to top that off, _you_, Oshiro-san, betrayed us. So it's only natural that I would attack you."

Hikari snarled wordlessly, her anger practically radiating off her in waves. Hidora smirked, clearly pleased with himself.

"Now, if you all would please die, I would be eternally grateful –" Hidora's speech was abruptly cut off as a rather large knife planted itself firmly in his face.

Zoro spun around, attempting to find who had so ruthlessly killed the man. His gaze fell upon a flabbergast Usopp, who was gawking at the only person who could have thrown a blade with such deadly aim.

"HIKARI!" Nami screeched. "What the hell was that for?"

Hikari straightened, spinning another knife around her finger. "Like you didn't want to do that too," she retorted, glaring at the navigator. "Now can we go? I'm in a pretty bad mood." She began stomping back to the ship when the knife she had thrown shot past her, drawing a narrow line of blood across her cheek.

"As if something like that could kill me," a familiar voice hissed. The crew spun around, and what Zoro saw made his blood run cold.

Hidora's entire body was lengthening, his form becoming more and more fluid. His legs had merged to form a thick tail, and his arms were slowly being absorbed by his torso. His neck lengthened, bending to normally impossible angles. His face had lengthened, and now resembled something akin to a snake. Where the knife had split his head, two identical heads were growing. And he kept on _growing_. Towering over them, he hissed from his twin heads, "Did you think you could kill me so easily? I, the Hydra, will not die from some mere flesh wound!"

Zoro, to his credit, stood his ground. He had no idea as to what to do. He seemed to dimly recall an old tale about the Hydra, and something about not cutting its head off. So option number one was out. As he racked his brain in an attempt to defend against the looming threat before them, he failed to notice that the rest of the crew was not focused on Hidora, but instead on Hikari. He heard a shrill screech from behind him, and he turned to face the beast behind him.

Where Hikari had been standing now stood an enormous snowy owl. The white feathers that covered her body caught the light of the setting sun and reflecting a rainbow of colors. Her wings, which were large to begin with, had grow to an enormous size, and were half-spread, creating an ominous shadowed appearance. Her sea grey eyes were narrowed, glaring at Hidora. Another high-pitched screech issued from her hooked beak, causing Hidora to flinch. She flexed her talons and crouched, spreading her wings to their maximum span.

"If you don't get out of my sight right now, I will tear you into pieces so small that you won't be able to reform," she hissed.

In response, Hidora squealed like a little girl and, reverting back to his human form, grabbed a lifeboat and leapt over the edge of the ship.

That did it. Zoro decided he was done for the day. This was just too weird.

Hikari huffed, turning and flying back to the Thousand Sunny. Zoro exchanged a quick glance with Nami, but she just shrugged and headed towards the galleon's cabin, presumably to plunder whatever treasure was on board. Zoro leapt back across to their ship, plopping down in his usual resting spot on the grassy deck. Leaning back against the railing, he closed his eyes against the blazing sun. A shadow circled rhythmically overhead, and he fell asleep to the distant sound of flapping wings.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!

In the near future, I may ask those of you who read to give me story ideas. We'll see how it goes.


	9. Realization

Ah, once again I stay up late to write and not do school work.

I'm really cynical today...

So I've gotten to the point where I don't really know what to do.

See, when I write, I have a beginning and an ending in mind. I don't ever have anything planned out. So I'm at the point where I'm not entirely sure how I want to get to the endpoint with the plot and character that I've set up.

Thus, we have a chapter of mostly introversion.

Lovely contemplation... Ah...

I'm also at the point where I'm torn between being all cutesy and lovey-dovey, or writing some hardcore citrus.

Bleh. I'll figure it out later.

But for now, here's the chapter. :)

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>Hikari couldn't remember what had started the fight.<p>

Ducking to dodge a well-placed swing, she desperately tried to recall why exactly the green haired swordsman was currently trying to behead her.

It had all happened so quickly…

She had somehow gotten into an argument with the swordsman. She couldn't remember why. He just pissed her off. She dimly recalled making a snide comment in his direction, about him sprawled out on the deck like he hadn't a care in the world. They had sparred with words, then with steel. Hikari could see herself falling into a pattern with this man, and she wasn't sure she liked it. Something about his presence set her on edge; some part of his confident demeanor got around the edges of her calm mask and made her squirm.

And it irritated the hell out of her.

Hikari needed control. It was her safety blanket, speaking metaphorically. As long as she had control, she could keep her confident and calm outer shell intact. But if she couldn't control a situation, or a person, she abandoned it as quickly as she could.

She had quickly discovered that most of the Mugiwara Pirates were within her control. The cook and the musician were easy; all she had to do was bat her eyelashes in their direction and they would do whatever she wanted. The doctor, the sharpshooter and the captain were slightly more difficult; she only had to show them her (relatively) unique powers, and they practically bowed down in awe. The two women of the group, the navigator and the archaeologist, were quiet difficult to manipulate, and she often wasn't sure if they were doing what she wanted because she truly had control, or because they were simply messing with her.

And then there was the swordsman.

He was impossible to predict. One moment, he would be calm as a clear sky, and the next he would be as fierce as a raging storm. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't force him to do _anything_ that she wanted. He took what he wanted when he wanted it. But he didn't seem to be driven by just impulse. She didn't know what motivated him.

It absolutely _infuriated_ her.

"Asshole," she growled, swinging her sword at his stupid green head. He easily blocked her attack, steel meeting in the middle, the impact creating a loud ringing that echoed over the deck. The force of the blow caused the sword to tremble in her hands.

"Bitch," Zoro snarled back around the hilt of Wadou. Pivoting, he spun on the ball of his foot and swung all three of his swords, creating a twister from the force of his attack.

Hikari bent backwards, jumping back with a hand spring. Landing in a crouch, she gripped her sword with both hands and dashed headlong at the swordsman.

How had it come to this?

She wasn't the type to get so infuriated without a legitimate reason. She always tried to analyze her situation before she acted. But something about this swordsman had muddled her way. She felt like a child lost in the woods. Deep down, she knew that she didn't hate the swordsman, she just hated how she felt around him.

Lost in her musings, she hardly had time to dodge Zoro's attack. Staggering backwards, she instinctively swept out her leg, only to cause the swordsman to fall on top of her.

Gasping from both the pain of hitting her head on the deck and from the compromising situation she now found herself in, she looked up into the swordsman's face. She saw in his emerald eyes the same burning desire she had seen on the day she had first showed the crew her power, but his brow was creased in confusion. His face was dangerously close to hers, and he suddenly leaned in, hovering mere inches above her. She froze, her breath catching in her throat. She could see the swordsman's inner conflict across his face, and she suddenly felt a strong desire for him to just close the few agonizingly short inches between them and kiss her senseless again.

Realization hit home with the force of an out-of-control freight train. Hikari's face instantly reddened. She growled angrily, startling the swordsman. He looked down at her, alarmed by her sudden reaction.

"Get the fuck off me," Hikari hissed, knocking the swordsman back with a swift kick to the ribs. In a flash, she was gone, leaving a very confused Zoro sprawled on the deck.

In the quiet of the ship's hold, she slumped against the wall. Slipping to the floor, she cradled her head in her hands. How could this have happened? How could she have let herself slip in such a manner? She never let herself have a weakness of any sort. And here she was falling head over heels for the first hot guy she happened to lay eyes on. She cursed herself under her breath, clenching her hands in her white hair. She had told herself long ago that love was a weakness, that it would get her killed. So she had removed it from her being, kept herself from getting attached to anyone or anything.

Or so she had thought.

She had been with the Mugiwara Pirates for about two months now. It seemed like such a short time, but she now saw that the crew was now an integral part of her life. In two months, they had destroyed almost every rule and safeguard that she had created. She realized that she hadn't truly removed love from her life: she had just been forcing any recognition of it away, bottling up her true emotions.

Hikari knew she had changed: being with the crew had an interesting effect on anyone who they came in contact with. Now she had to confront herself. She sucked in a deep breath, gazing up at the dark ceiling. She needed to work out her problems, or she was going to be in a whole world of trouble.

* * *

><p>Zoro sat against the railing and sighed.<p>

When had his life become so fucking complicated?

The white haired thief had somehow wormed her way into his life, and was now making a royal mess of it. Ever since she had stolen from them, she had been a constant presence, like a distant scent that one can't quite place. He was inexplicably drawn to her, and he couldn't figure out why. He didn't quite know why he had kissed her on that fateful day so many weeks ago. He hadn't really thought; he had just let his body take control. Her taste had ignited a craving that had kept him up these past few weeks. And that wasn't the worst part. She somehow managed to be _everywhere_, so he had no escape from the longing that wracked his body every time he laid eyes on her. It was hard to ignore her when she was constantly yelling at him, too. She had a pretty dirty mouth, for a girl, and when she snapped at him, it sent chills up his spine. He _wanted_ her, but at the same time, she pissed him off. He got into more fights with her than he did with the shit-cook.

He had somehow let himself get backed into a corner, and he couldn't find a way out. Regardless of what he did, this was not going to end well.

* * *

><p>Hikari trotted silently across the deck. She had stayed in the hold for longer than she had initially anticipated; by the time she had emerged, the sun had set. The rest of the crew was asleep, except for Robin, who was on watch, and had kindly informed her in passing that Sanji had left her portion of dinner in the galley. Not wanting to wake the others, she crept into the galley, quietly closing the door behind her. The delicious scent of freshly cooked meat filled the room, and she was quickly reminded of how hungry she was.<p>

She didn't notice the shadow standing quietly in the corner until it moved, soft footsteps startling her. Spinning around, Hikari found herself face-to-face with Zoro. His face was hidden in shadow, making it impossible for her to make out his expression.

"What do you want?" Hikari snapped, her face heating slightly at the sudden proximity between herself and the swordsman. She had a hard time focusing on his obscured face; the moonlight streaming in through the window created an interesting lighting effect on the swordsman's body, throwing his chiseled form into great contrast.

Zoro sat silent for a moment, and Hikari began to wonder if he was ever going to answer. He finally spoke, a hard, commanding edge present in his tone.

"I want you to kiss me."

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always welcome!


	10. Kiss

_ALSDKGHASLDLSDFKJA IT'S FINISHED.  
><em>

OH MAN, I'M SO EXCITED.

I had this scene planned out for so damn long. You guys have no idea.

Abuse of power. Gotta love it.

But yeah, I'm moving the story along, slowly but surely. I don't quite know when I'll finish, but it won't be anytime soon.

This is just too much fun. :D

Also, I was reading a fic a few weeks ago, and the author had it so that Luffy and Zoro had their own cabins on the Thousand Sunny, since Luffy's the captain, and Zoro's the first mate. I personally like the idea, so I incorporated it into this story.

But yeah. Me and sappy romance. I'm such a sucker for it. o3o

Enjoy!

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I own Hikari.

* * *

><p><em>Zoro sat silent for a moment, and Hikari began to wonder if he was ever going to answer. He finally spoke, a hard, commanding edge present in his tone.<em>

"_I want you to kiss me."_

Hikari stared at Zoro, utterly dumbfounded. Her mind refused to process the words that had just escaped his lips. Her chest tightened, and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"What?" she gasped, her mind reeling. She took a shaky step back, trying to escape from the commanding presence that was suffocating her.

"You heard me," he spoke quietly. He stepped forward, invading her personal space. "Kiss me."

Hikari opened her mouth, desperately trying to think of what to say. How was she supposed to react? Did he know how she felt? And if he did, what if he was just using her?

"No," she snarled, backing up further till she felt the hard edge of the table against the back of her thighs.

Zoro shook his head in mock disappointment. "Not obeying orders," he chuckled, continuing to advance towards her. "That's mutiny."

"That's not an order, that's an abuse of power," she shot back. The damn swordsman was making her uncomfortable, and it was clear that he was _enjoying _it.

"I see it as an order. And what I say is final," he growled, all traces of humor gone from his voice. She shivered inadvertently at the power in his voice. She knew he was right. Nami _had_ said that she was supposed to follow orders. She had no escape, and no choice.

Hikari closed her eyes, growling in frustration. Opening her eyes, she met the swordsman's burning gaze. Throwing all reason to the wind, she grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him towards herself, slamming her lips against his. Zoro seemed taken off guard for a moment, but then she felt his strong arms snake around behind her, pulling her body closer and deepening the kiss. In reaction, her body took over for her tired, confused mind. She felt her arms wrap around the swordsman's shoulders, her hands twining in his cropped green hair. She tugged slightly, and something between a growl and a moan rumbled forth from deep in Zoro's chest, sending shivers down her spine.

As Zoro pushed her back against the table, Hikari realized, with the tiny part of her brain that was still working, that she had completely lost control of the situation. But strangely, she wasn't uncomfortable. She was surprised, and slightly pleased, to discover that she really didn't care what happened. Maybe letting go wasn't that bad…

Zoro rolled his hips forward, cutting off any thoughts rushing through her head. She gasped, both from surprise and from a need for air. The swordsman left her lips and began to work his way down her neck, nipping and licking her tender flesh. Hikari let her head fall back, trying her best to keep a moan from escaping her throat. Despite how good it felt, she was determined not to seem like the type of girl who simply fell apart in a man's talented hands.

At the exact moment when Zoro found a particularly sensitive portion at the joint of her neck and shoulder, the galley door was practically blasted off its hinges. Both Hikari and Zoro jumped back, turning to face a very surprised captain. Luffy stared at the both of them, his mouth forming a perfect "o". Hikari felt her ears burning, and a glance towards Zoro confirmed that the swordsman was blushing just as much as she was.

"Woow," Luffy giggled. "You sure were hungry, huh, Zoro?"

Zoro opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a strangled gurgle. Luffy laughed again, running out of the room screaming, "Guess what guys? Zoro was trying to eat Shiro!"

A half a second passed, and then both Hikari and Zoro sprinted for the door in an attempt to stop the captain before he said too much. Rounding the corner on the deck, they both came to a halt when they saw an unconscious Luffy and several hands fading away. Hikari let out a sigh of relief. She felt like a teenager who had been busted by her parents. A smile crossed her face at the thought, and she forced back the laughter that threatened to overwhelm her. She could barely contain her laughter, and her shoulders shook from the effort. She felt Zoro's eyes on her, and she heard the concern in his voice when he asked, "O-oi. What's wrong?"

She couldn't hold it back any longer. Hikari burst out laughing. Howling at the situation she found herself in, she fell onto her back, clutching her sides. Zoro stood above her, and she could see from his facial expression that he was utterly lost. Bringing herself back under control, she gasped for air, wiping away the tears in her eyes. "Oh, god, this entire situation is so fucked up," she sighed, pulling herself up into a sitting position and running her hand through her hair. Zoro shifted uncomfortably beside her, and remained silent. Glancing up at him, she noticed that his hands were balled at his side, and that he was staring out at some unseen point on the horizon, a frown darkening his face. With a deep sigh, she stood up, tearing the swordsman away from his internal conflict.

"I'm going to go thank Robin," she spoke, turning her gaze up to the observation deck. "Things could have gotten out of control if she hadn't stepped in." Zoro merely grunted in agreement. She glared in his direction, and crossed her arms. "Oh stop your bitching. You got what you wanted, right?"

When the swordsman didn't respond, Hikari sighed and walked over to where he was sulking. Standing on her tiptoes, she brushed her lips against his. He jerked, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Go put the captain to bed," she whispered. Stepping back, she let her form become fluid, shifting easily into her owl form. Spreading her wings, she flew up to the observation deck, letting her wings brush against the dumbstruck swordsman as she climbed. Circling a few times, she finally landed on the open window next to the archeologist. The raven haired woman smiled as the ivory owl nestled on the windowsill and fluffed her feathers.

"You saw." It wasn't a question. Hikari knew that the only reason the archeologist would have interfered was if she had known exactly what was going on. She simply didn't know why Robin had decided to do anything.

Robin simply gave Hikari her knowing smile. Clicking her beak in annoyance, Hikari wished, not for the first time, that the archeologist would be more straightforward.

"Thank you," she hooted quietly, puffing out her feathers around her neck to hide her face.

Robin chuckled softly. "For what, Oshiro-san? I was just keeping the captain from waking up the rest of the crew."

Hikari eyed the cryptic archeologist out of the corner of her eye. The damn woman never admitted to anything. Plausible deniability, she supposed. Settling herself on her perch, she sat in contented silence with the older woman, letting the night's events wash over her. For the first time in what felt like ages, Hikari felt blissful. A gentle breeze caressed her feathers as she gazed over the ocean. The air was warm, but a slightly cool wisp of air was hidden in the stream, warning of the biting cold to come.

"A storm's coming," she murmured, to no one in particular. Hunkering down, she waited for the inevitable cold.

* * *

><p>Zoro rolled over in his bed, gazing up at the ceiling. He sighed, running a hand across his tired eyes. A storm had overtaken the Thousand Sunny, and the temperature had dropped drastically. While he normally didn't mind the cold and could sleep through an average thunderstorm such as this, he couldn't quiet his racing mind. The night's events flashed before his eyes once again. His skin still burned from where Hikari had touched him. His experiment had gone further than he had initially anticipated, but he didn't regret his actions.<p>

He heard the door to his cabin open and soft footsteps pattering quickly across the floor. A small body landed lightly next to him. Grumbling under his breath, he kept his arm across his face as whoever it was nestled next to him in the sheets, shivering from the cold.

"You have your own damn bed, Luffy. You really should use it," he growled, not in the mood to deal with his clingy captain. Thunder echoed through the quiet night as he waited for a response.

He started when he felt slender arms wrap around his broad chest, and a clearly feminine body press up against his. Raising his arm, he saw a familiar splash of white hair on the head that was resting on his chest.

"'S cold," Hikari mumbled into his shirt.

"Doesn't mean that you can't sleep in your own bed," he retorted, trying to keep his breathing under control. Hikari was so tantalizingly close, and her actions earlier only made holding himself back even harder.

"Nami stole my blankets," came the eventual reply. "Can't sleep in the cold."

Zoro scowled down at the top of her head. "Well, aren't you the picky one."

Hikari grumbled something unintelligible under her breath. Zoro returned his gaze to the ceiling as he felt the white haired girl's breathing slow. Hesitantly, he laid his arm back down, wrapping it around her slender shoulder. He closed his eyes, focusing on the rhythmic pattering of the rain on the deck. The warmth of the slender body beside him diffused into his own muscular form, and he drifted off to sleep.

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	11. Just A Dream

WOW.

11 chapters.

I just realized that this is 11 chapters long.

I can't believe how fast this has gone...

Thanks to all of you who favorited, subscribed, and especially those of you who commented. I really appreciate you guys. ^_^

In other news...

**IT WAS ONLY JUST A DREEEEEEEEEEEAMMMMMM...**

That song was stuck in my head for the longest time. Which explains why this chapter is the way it is. :D Teeheehee~~~

I'll be posting more chapters soon, since I'm almost done with finals. :D

SO EXCITED.

But anywho...

I'm not gonna lie, I'm really torn about this fic. I kinda wanna leave it fluffy, but I also wanna write a bit of citrus too...

I guess I'll figure it out as I go.

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>The warm sun's rays filtered down through the leaves above, slightly warming the swordsman's tan skin. A light breeze rustled the leaves overhead and set the long, soft blades of grass waving.<p>

Zoro sighed contently. _This _was the life. Everything was perfect. It was quiet, Luffy and the rest of the crew were nowhere to be found, and the temperature was just so. It was almost as if he was dreaming… A small smile crept across his face, and he felt the cool fingers of blissful unconsciousness pull at him.

Right as he was about to drift off, a shadow fell over him, blocking out the warmth of the sun. Scowling, Zoro figured, as he did for most things, if he ignored it, it would leave him alone and go away.

But whatever was casting the shadow didn't go away. He heard the grass rustle slightly, and the individual leaned over him, their breath ghosting over his face, and a loose strand of hair tickling his cheek.

He smelled a hint of mint and sea breeze, his brain taking a moment to register who it was.

_Hikari._

As he began to open his eyes, soft lips brushed over his own. Fingers danced across his body, tracing the contours of each individual muscle, leaving a fiery trail where they touched his bare skin. Her lips moved from his, making their way down his neck. He moaned in approval.

Correction: _now_ everything was perfect.

He opened his eyes, staring up at the canopy above as Hikari continued to worship his body. Sitting up abruptly, he caught her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. He felt her hands twine in his hair and tug slightly, causing him to moan again. Breaking away from the kiss, he gazed upon her flushed face. Her saw a yearning he had never seen before present in those smoldering sea-grey eyes. He felt his pulse race at that look, and he claimed her lips once again.

"…_ro…"_

Leaning over the smaller girl, he gently pushed her back into the grass. Her fingers tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head. Once gone, he felt her splay her hands against his broad chest, sending shivers down his spine as she traced the huge scar down his body.

"…_Zoro…"_

He instinctively rolled his hips forward, aching to be in contact with the body under him. His pants were suddenly too tight, and he felt his breath catch as Hikari's hands crept lower.

"_Zoro!"_

The swordsman felt something hard collide with the back of his head and he woke with a start. Luffy was shaking him violently, and inadvertently bashing his head into the head board of his bed.

"I'm up!" he shouted hoarsely, swiping at the hyperactive boy. Luffy dodged and let go, causing Zoro to slam his head against the wood hard enough to see stars. As he tried to see straight, Luffy sat back on the bed, clapping his hands together and grinning like an idiot.

"Nami made me come wake you up," he chirped happily. "She said to tell you to get your ass up and in the galley or she'll triple your debt. Again. So hurry up, or she'll be angry!" And with that, Luffy bounced out of the room, leaving a very confused and frazzled swordsman in his wake.

Zoro groaned, bringing one hand to cover his eyes as he flopped back down on his bed. A dream… It had all just been a dream. A _very_ realistic dream, but a dream nonetheless.

And his body still hadn't gotten the hint.

With a heavy sigh, Zoro rolled out of bed.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>Zoro trudged out onto the deck, toweling his hair dry after a long and relieving shower. He stomped into the galley, preparing himself with the inevitable confrontation with Nami. Said navigator glared up at him from the table, sipping on her cup of tea that Sanji had lovingly made. Ignoring the glare that was boring a hole in the back of his skull, he made his way to the ice chest and grabbed a bottle of sake. He had a feeling he would need it today.<p>

Before he could make it to the table, a long leg shot out in front of him, causing the swordsman to stop in his tracks. The cook stood before him, arms crossed over his chest, his leg stuck out at an impossible angle.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, shitty swordsman?" Sanji growled around his cigarette.

"The hell does it look like I'm doing, shit-cook?" Zoro snapped back. He really was in no mood to deal with the irritating cook right now.

"You are NOT drinking the last bottle of sake at ten o'clock in the morning!" the cook snarled, grabbing at the bottle still clutched in Zoro's hand. Zoro easily swatted his hand away, sidestepping around the cook's still extended leg and making a dash for the door. The cook stumbled for a moment, then quickly gave chase.

Zoro made it out to the deck before he felt the whirl of air and had to dodge as Sanji tried to take his head off with one of his powerful kicks. The cook didn't wait for Zoro to prepare himself, and instead threw another series of kicks at the swordsman. Stumbling back, he felt Sanji's fingers wrap around his hand, which was clutching the neck of the sake bottle.

"Let go!" Sanji hissed, trying to pull the bottle from Zoro's iron grip.

The two were suddenly locked in a fierce tug of war match, neither giving any ground. Zoro planted his feet and pulled back with his powerful arms, while Sanji used one of his feet to push off on the swordsman. None of the crew interfered in the screaming, cursing whirlwind of attacks; after all, none of them wanted to lose a limb in the process of tearing the two apart. Everyone obeyed the unspoken rule of letting the cook and the swordsman fight on their own. The two men ignored everyone else as well, until a clear voice cut through the chaotic din.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

Zoro stopped long enough to identify the speaker: Hikari. She stood halfway down the steps from the upper deck, a confused frown spread across her face. Her wings were halfway folded, and her hair slightly disheveled, presumably from flying. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from exertion, and Zoro couldn't help but stare. Unfortunately, Sanji chose that moment to deliver a spinning kick to the swordsman's face, and Zoro heard his nose crack as it met the heel of Sanji's foot. Pain exploded in his face, and he fell backwards, his hands flying up to stem the blood flowing from his nose.

"Hikari-chwaaaan!" Sanji sung, dancing towards Hikari. Zoro struggled up to a sitting position, glaring daggers at Sanji's back. Chopper ran screaming over to him, babbling incoherently and waving his arms around. Sanji bowed dramatically before a shocked Hikari and, grabbing her hand, planted a kiss on her palm.

Zoro felt a feral growl erupt from deep within his chest. That curly eyebrow bastard was touching her, _violating_ her. He surged to his feet, but was forced back down by Chopper. He watched helplessly from afar as Sanji swooned about the white haired girl. Hikari's face was strangely blank.

Then, to everyone's surprise, she punched Sanji in the face.

Sanji fell back on his back, a horrified expression on his face, blood dripping from his nose. Zoro felt his jaw drop. He didn't need to look around the deck to see that the rest of the crew was just as surprised as he was. He had _never_ seen Hikari use her fists before, let alone punch anyone in the face.

One look at Hikari, and it was clear that she was pissed. Her fists were clenched by her side, but he could tell that her arms were shaking with rage. Her gaze was ominously dark, and Zoro found himself wondering if that was how he looked when he had his bandana on. She slowly descended the remaining stairs, and towered over Sanji, glaring down at the terrified blonde.

"What kind of asshole attacks when someone's back is turned?" she hissed through clenched teeth. Sanji opened his mouth to speak, but he seemed unable to form words. Leaning over the cook, she whispered dangerously, "And don't you _ever_ touch me again."

Sanji whimpered and nodded furiously. Stomping over to where Zoro was sitting, she knelt down beside him, all the anger gone from her expression. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly. She raised a hand to Zoro's face, but hesitated, pulling back before she touched him.

Zoro was dumbstruck. He wasn't sure how to react, wasn't sure what to say. He saw the concern in Hikari's face, something he wasn't accustomed to seeing from her. He felt his chest swell that he was capable of eliciting this emotion from the normally reserved girl. He fought back the sudden urge to lean in and kiss her. Struggling to keep himself under control, he forced a small smile. "'M fine," he spoke, grimacing slightly as pain shot through his face.

Hikari opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut off as Chopper chose that moment to drag Zoro off to the infirmary. Glancing back, he saw Hikari stand slowly, a frown creasing her brow.

She was _worried_ about him, he realized.

Well, that was new.

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><p>Zoro's mind raced as he sat in the infirmary. He hardly heard Chopper's fretting and Nami's shouting. He didn't even protest at being in Sanji's company while Chopper patched the two of them up. He was constantly returned to Hikari, to her concerned expression, to her ivory hair, to her deep sea-grey eyes, to that dream…<p>

He almost didn't register that Sanji was speaking to him until the cook stood directly in front of him, glaring down at him. He looked much less intimidating with a huge gauze pad over his nose, Zoro mused.

"Did you hear me, shit-head?" he growled around a fresh cigarette.

Zoro narrowed his eyes, standing up to tower over the cook. He stood mere inches from the cook, and snarled, "What do you want, shit-cook?"

"I asked, what's your relationship with Hikari-chwan?"

Zoro blinked, taking a step back. He was taken aback by the abruptness of the question. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid," Sanji spoke quietly, his normally visible anger towards the swordsman suddenly gone. "I saw how she reacted this afternoon. There's obviously something going on between you two." The cook took the smoking cigarette from his mouth, and stared down the swordsman. "If you _ever_ hurt her, I will end your miserable life."

Zoro was frozen to the spot, staring wide-eyed at the cook's retreating figure.

What the hell had just happened?

How was it that everyone seemed to know about his relationship, if he could even call it that, with Hikari?

When had his life spiraled so far out of his control?

The swordsman slowly sank back down to the cot, curling up on his side, suddenly very tired though his mind was still reeling. He just wanted to sleep peacefully, to forget all of this for a little while.

But he smelled a lingering, yet all-too familiar scent of mint and the sea on the sheets as dreams beckoned, pulling him down into their endless depths. As he struggled to ignore it, somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered that scent triggers memory. But before he could force himself awake, he was enveloped in the heavy folds of sleep.

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always welcome!


	12. Temptation, or Why Philosophy Sucks

I was toying with a few ideas in this chapter. My apologies if it's not as good as everyone would like it to be.

So I'm supposed to be writing a paper on Epictetus. Instead, I wrote this. XD

It's so fun to twist philosophy to fit anything.

**This chapter is slightly more mature.**

I really need to stop reading smut and focus on finals...

Anywho, I need to get back to writing about people who have been dead for several thousand years. :/

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>"<em>Do your best to rein in your desire. For if you desire something that isn't within your own control, disappointment will surely follow; meanwhile, you will be neglecting the very things that are within your control that are worthy of desire."<em>

Zoro heard the words echoing in his mind, and he sucked in a deep breath. Robin certainly had chosen an interesting time to read that particular book, and to indulge its wisdom to the crew, but he wasn't complaining. This Epictetus guy seemed to know a thing or two.

Zoro was already pretty good at meditating, but today he was focused on more than just calming himself after a hard workout. A certain person had been hovering on the edges of his thoughts, making it impossible for him to focus. After waking up from yet another incredible dream involving the white haired girl, he knew he had to get himself under control.

_Do your best to rein in your desire._ He snorted. Easier said than done. But he was determined to succeed, and Roronoa Zoro did _not_ accept failure.

He had finally settled into a calm meditative state when the door to the observation deck banged open, and Hikari strode confidently in.

"Oh," she blinked, ignoring the dark glare that he was giving her. She smirked, cocking an eyebrow at the clearly irritated swordsman. "Am I interrupting?"

"Yes," he growled. "I'd appreciate it if you left. I'm training here."

Hikari crossed her arms, scowling down at him. "You know, you're being really bitchy lately," she huffed. "What crawled up your ass and pissed you off?" Zoro narrowed his eyes at her, not sure how to respond without lying, but not wanting to admit the truth. Hikari observed him, her head cocked to the side, her eyes boring into his own. He held her gaze for a moment, and then looked away.

"Did Sanji say something to you?" she pressed. Zoro remained silent. "He did, didn't he? What did he say?" Zoro stubbornly refused to answer, closing his eyes and trying to drop into a meditative state again.

He heard Hikari's light, yet determined footsteps coming closer. He felt himself tense as she stood over him. He forced the quote through his thoughts again._ Do your best to rein in your desire._

Zoro winced and his eyes flew open as Hikari yanked on his cropped hair, pulling his gaze to meet hers. She crouched before him, carefully analyzing him through narrowed eyes.

"What's up with you?" she questioned, her face dangerously close to his. "You've been weird since…" She let the sentence trail off unfinished, but both of them knew what she meant. _Since that night in the galley._ Zoro swallowed, unsure of how to answer. He couldn't just outright say, _well, you know, you turned me on so much that night that I haven't been able to stop thinking about you._

Wait, did he just think that?

Hikari released his hair, but remained crouched in front of him, showing no sign of leaving anytime soon. He ran a hand over his face, and sighed in frustration. He had so much he wanted to say, but no way of saying it. He warily looked into Hikari's eyes again, and was met with the same quizzical stare as before. He opened his mouth to speak, to let loose what he yearned to say, but his mind refused to give him the willpower to use his vocal cords.

"If you don't tell me, I'll force it from you," she growled, her frustration clear in her voice. For a moment, Zoro was curious, wondering what she would do. Then she leaned in, closing the distance between them, planting her lips firmly on his, her hand placed against his shoulder to balance herself. His bare skin burned under her palm. He felt his pulse skyrocket, and he desperately wanted to reach out and pull her against him. Instead, he mustered his willpower and shoved her away roughly. Hikari looked genuinely surprised for a fleeting moment, then she scowled, pouting her lips in a most alluring fashion. Zoro realized her was staring, and tore his gaze from her rosy lips, instead staring at the wall just beyond her head. "So it _is_ about me," she mused. A long silence passed before she spoke again. "Why?"

He knew she was questioning his resistance to her, even without her explicitly asking. "'Begin at once a program of self-mastery'," Zoro quoted, trying to convey his actions without saying it outright. She sat quietly, musing over his expression and his response. He could feel her gaze locked on his face, but he refused to turn and look back into those sea-grey eyes.

"Epictetus," she finally said quietly. Zoro nodded curtly, repeating the lines he had read from the tiny book over and over in his head: _Do your best to rein in your desire._

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a cruel smile spread slowly across her face. Leaning forward, she hovered over top of him, her face beside his. "But that's not _all_ he said," she whispered seductively, her tongue flicking out to run along the shell of his ear, setting his earrings chiming lightly. Zoro fought back the shivers that wracked his body at such a slight touch. He set his jaw, trying to ignore the warm body that hovered mere inches from his.

"'Respect your body's needs'," she murmured, her hand ghosting down his chest. He felt his breathing speed, despite how he struggled to keep it steady. "'Give your body excellent care to promote its health and well-being. Give it everything it absolutely requires…'" She trailed off, nipping at his collar bone. Her hand had worked its way down his body, her fingers dancing across the muscles just above the waistline of his pants. He was completely still, and he didn't realize that he was holding his breath until his vision spun. Exhaling, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the fire that was pooling in his gut.

He felt Hikari smile into his skin, and he yelped as she palmed his growing erection. "You should know better than to close your eyes," she laughed quietly, her hot mouth by his ear again and her other hand tugging on his hair. "Cutting off one of your senses only heightens the others." And he was damned if she wasn't right. Every brush of her talented fingers, every graze of teeth against his flushed skin caused his body to react even more violently than it had before. His brain was slowly melting into mush. He couldn't think clearly, couldn't breathe. He drew in a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself, but Hikari refused to let him relax at all. She tightened her grip on his erection, and a high-pitched whine forced its way out of his throat.

Hikari chuckled under her breath, never once stopping in her assault of his body. He forced his eyes open in the hope that it would alleviate some of the sensitivity. It didn't. His body had completely betrayed him. He hissed in a shaky breath at the sight of Hikari over top of him. Her eyes flicked up to his face and a sly smile spread across her face. He swallowed nervously, desperately wanting to remove himself from this situation, but also praying silently that she would never stop.

Hikari continued to lick, nip and suck at his skin, but he realized that she was moving _down_. His breath caught in his throat, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he protested. _Down_ was bad. It meant her mouth and tongue would be _there_. He shuddered at the thought, though he wasn't sure if it was from anticipation or fear. He internally screamed at his body to move, to no avail. Hikari hit a particularly sensitive spot on his abdomen, drawing a long hot trail across his stomach with her tongue. His vision blurred as she dipped her tongue into his belly button, and he could hardly keep from rocking his hips forward.

"Don't," he pleaded, surprised at the rasping of his own voice. He was furious with himself for falling apart so easily, for showing such weakness. But when Hikari paused, glancing back up at his flushed face, he saw a fire burning in her eyes, and he suddenly didn't care. She climbed back up his body, brushing her lips tauntingly against his own.

"Why?" she purred, letting her breath ghost across his face. "Don't you want this? Don't you want me?"

_Oh gods, YES._ "No," he choked out.

Another brush of her lips. "So do you want me to stop?"

_NO._ "Y-yes…"

"Are you _sure_?"

At that moment, he felt Hikari's fingers dip under his waistband and brush the muscles just above his cock. A cross between a whine and a moan ripped its way out of his throat in response. His mind was screaming for her to stop, but his body was desperately urging her on. Her fingers crept lower, sliding slowly down the length of his erection.

His self control shattered. Surging forward, he caught her lips in a crushing kiss. His hands flew up, dancing along her form, aching for contact. She tugged at his hair, tilting his head to deepen the kiss, and he moaned into her mouth. He didn't care anymore; it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered except Hikari, and the incredible pleasure racking his body. He was lost, drowning in the feeling of her lips on his neck, her hand on his bare chest, her fingers dancing along his throbbing manhood. His head fell back against the wall as he gasped for air. He felt the heat coiled in his gut intensifying to a blazing inferno.

And just as suddenly as it had started, she was gone, walking back towards the door. "Wh-where are you going?" Zoro panted, breathless.

She stopped at the door, her face completely blank. "You _said_ you wanted me to stop," she said. "I'm just following orders." Laughter twinkled in her eyes, though her face remained serious. Waving her hand over her shoulder, she turned and left, leaving a very frustrated and desperate swordsman in her wake.

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	13. Like a Cat

I have had a shit-ton of time.

Like, no joke. I've surprised myself with the amount of spare time I have.

So I use it to update. :3

There's one part in here where Hikari and Brook play a song. I wrote that part in because this chapter would have been really short without it, and because it was stuck in my head.

Go listen to it! If any of you are familiar with LoZ: Wind Waker, you'll know the song. 3 It's a gorgeous song, and I really wish all games had as amazing of a soundtrack as most of the Zelda games do.

http:/www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=N8nCEDyGHKk

In other news, I **_hate _**it when you're reading a fanfic and the two characters are getting along, and then stupid shit happens, and they _don't_ end up together.

Pisses. Me. Off.

So I can assure you that will not happen here.

Torturing Zoro is fun, though. X3

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

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><p>Hikari sat on the deck, basking in the sunlight. She sighed contentedly as the sun washed over her upturned face, warming her entire body. She was in a very good mood. She recalled once that someone had told her she acted more like a cat than a bird. She liked basking in the sun, eating fish, and toying with people, and now was no exception.<p>

The familiar clomp of boots on the deck alerted her to the presence of her latest toy, and she grinned with excitement. She yawned, stretching herself across the soft grass on the deck over what was Zoro's favorite napping spot. She heard the swordsman freeze as he saw her rolling around on the deck. Cracking one eye open, she glanced up at the swordsman, fighting back a grin. Zoro stood there, jaw clenched, fists balled up at his sides, his expression caught somewhere between fear and want. "Hey," she smirked, resting her head on her hand and letting her eyes trail slowly up his body. He hissed in a soft breath, turned on his heel and stalked off to the observation deck.

She grinned, watching the swordsman practically sprinting up the stairs. Zoro was far too easy to mess with. Once she had discovered the power she held over him, it was impossible _not _to taunt him. She knew it was risky, and that it would probably come back to bite her someday, but it was just _so much fun._ Some people told her that her actions made her cynical and cruel, but she preferred to think of it as an alternative method of entertaining herself.

Over the past few days, she had made it a point to "accidentally" bump into the swordsman whenever possible. She would brush up against him when she was walking by, she let her hands linger for too long when they sparred, she had even ground up against him on several occasions. She had to admit, his self control was impressive. Any other man would have snapped by this point, but he just clenched his jaw and sought the solitude of the observation deck.

She wasn't sure why teasing him was so fun. Maybe it was his reaction, maybe it was the allure of holding control over the normally uncontrollable swordsman. Or maybe it was that, somewhere deep down, she had feelings for him. Hikari was willing to admit that Zoro was drop-dead gorgeous. She had a thing for guys with toned bodies, but Zoro took the cake. He looked like he had been chiseled from rock; every contour of his body was clearly defined. And he had an air about him, a calm demeanor that seemed contagious at times. He carried himself with confidence, and had the situation been different, Hikari was sure she would have fallen head over heels for him at first sight. As it was, she wasn't completely sure that she hadn't fallen for him. There were times where she found herself staring at the swordsman, and she knew she wasn't admiring his physique. Shaking the questions from her head, she stood up, dusted herself off, and went off to plot how to further torment Zoro.

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><p>Zoro crept down the stairs, praying to whatever higher power happened to be listening that Hikari wasn't waiting for him behind some corner. As it was, she was sitting on the railing of the deck, facing the ocean. She didn't seem to be paying any attention to him, or anyone else for that matter. She stared out over the waves, swinging her legs back and forth. As he crept over to his designated spot on the deck, he heard her humming some tune that he couldn't quite place.<p>

Chopper hopped up next to her, a fishing pole gripped between his hooves. Casting his line, he turned to Hikari, a puzzled look on his face. "You're humming again," he commented.

"Hm?" she replied, her trance broken. She smiled down at the tiny reindeer, and Zoro felt a pang of jealousy as he wished she would do the same to him. "I didn't notice."

"It's a nice tune. I like it," Chopper admitted, blushing slightly. "Where did you learn it?"

"Hm…" Hikari hummed slightly, intertwining her fingers and, leaning forward, resting her chin atop them. "I don't remember exactly. My brother and I used to sing it, but I don't remember where we learned it…"

Luffy sprung up out of nowhere. "You have a brother?" he asked excitedly.

Her expression darkened slightly. "Had," she said softly.

Zoro stiffened at the pain in her voice. Looking up, he saw her staring out over the sea, her expression unreadable. He felt the sudden urge to console her, but he forced it down, bottling it up with everything else he felt for her.

He was also surprised to see Luffy shut up for once in his life. The young captain sat silently next to the white haired girl. Finally, after he had deemed the silence to have gone on for long enough, he hopped up on the railing, a huge smile spread across his face. "Teach us the song!" he commanded, bouncing in anticipation.

Hikari scowled up at the captain. "I can't," she replied. "I don't remember the lyrics. I only remember the tune."

"That's not a problem," Brook sang as he came up to where the three were sitting. "As long as you know the tune, I can play it." Holding his violin in clear view, he bowed to Hikari.

A small smile crept across her face, and Zoro could tell she was planning something. Jumping back onto the deck, she trotted off to her room. Brook looked at Luffy and Chopper, questioning where she was going. Both shrugged, and continued on with what they had been doing.

A few minutes later, just as Zoro was drifting off to sleep, she emerged from her room, clutching a small box in her hand. Luffy sprinted over to her, running circles around her, demanding to see what was inside. She swatted him away, seating herself cross-legged on the grassy deck. One by one, the crew gathered around her, intrigued by what could possibly be inside the tiny box. Zoro, while curious, refused to move. He heard the others mutter as she removed whatever was in the box. Cracking an eye open, he snuck a glance.

Hikari was holding a small blue instrument with what appeared to be several holes drilled in the side. He couldn't tell what it was, but both Brook and Robin seemed to understand what it was. "Ahh, an ocarina!" Brook cried out, leaning in to inspect the instrument. "Can you play it?"

Hikari held it up to the sun, turning it over in her hands and inspecting it for any damage. "I used to be able to. I'm not sure how good I'll be; I'm kinda rusty."

Brook laughed, fitting his violin on his shoulder. "Not to worry, my dear. None of us will judge you. Now, if you will start playing, I will attempt to follow."

Hikari looked hesitantly at everyone around her, and then brought the tiny instrument to her lips. She began to play a light, airy song, and everyone, including Zoro, was entranced. Brook seemed to know the song, and he began to play along, the two of them forming a perfect duet. Zoro was completely drawn in; he had eyes for nothing but Hikari. She had her eyes closed in concentration, her fingers flying over the holes of the instrument. She swayed slightly to the beat at first, but the longer the song went on, the more she began to unconsciously dance. Zoro found his eyes being inadvertently drawn to her hips. He realized he was staring, and forced his gaze away. However, he soon realized that it didn't matter: everyone else was staring as well. Usopp and Sanji were both gaping, and Sanji was practically drooling. He felt his gaze being drawn back to Hikari, to her swaying hips. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry and constricted. This was a worse torture than anything else she had done in the past few days.

After what seemed like an eternity for Zoro, the song finally came to an end. The rest of the crew applauded, but Zoro stayed where he was, far too wound up to move. Hikari took an overly dramatic bow, and Zoro froze as her eyes locked on him, a sly smile creeping across her face. He felt the heat coiling in his gut again, and he knew he couldn't be here any longer. Leaping to his feet, he sprinted off, surprising the rest of the crew.

As he ran to the observation deck, he faintly heard Usopp ask, "What's _his _problem?"

Hikari laughed. "I'm sure it's nothing," she called out, her mocking voice seeming to chase after Zoro as he fled.

That damn woman was pushing him to the breaking point, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could last.

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	14. Seduction

**This chapter contains mature content.**

It's rated M for a reason, people.

I really don't have much to rant about today.

All your comments are awesome, by the way. I got becket's comment right after I finished writing this chapter. XD

I'm totally gonna write that in somewhere, even if it's in a side story.

But anywho, onward!

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

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><p>Zoro lay silently in his bed, his thoughts racing. Try as he might, he couldn't pull his thoughts away from Hikari. He desperately needed sleep, but his body was still tense from earlier. He was at the breaking point. If Hikari did anything else, he wasn't sure he would be able to hold back any longer. Every light touch, every sultry glance simply added to his agony. Throwing his arm over his face, he closed his eyes. Forcing his mind to go blank, he fell into fitful sleep.<p>

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><p>Zoro knew he was dreaming, but he couldn't wake up. He was reliving the events of this evening, but he was alone with Hikari. She was playing her ocarina, swaying back and forth to the music. Her hair, instead of being tied back, was cascading down around her, creating a curtain of white that rippled as she moved. Her clothes also seemed to be different, clinging to her shapely form. Once again, he was enraptured with her sensual dancing, his eyes locked on her hips. She gazed at him through hooded eyes. His breath caught in his throat at her expression. She started to move over to where he was sitting, the ocarina long since forgotten. She continued to sway to some unheard beat until she was standing right in front of him. Running her hands through her hair, she smirked down at him.<p>

"Like what you see?" she purred, rolling her hips forward as she spoke.

He swallowed, his tongue darting out to wet his suddenly dry lips.

Grinning slyly, she eased herself over until she was sitting atop his lap, her legs straddling his hips. She placed both her arms around his shoulders, her fingers twining in his hair. His hands desperately clutched the chair he was sitting in, his nails digging into the wood. She moved forward until her lips brushed his, sending shivers down his spine.

"What do you want?" she whispered against his mouth. He shuddered, unable to speak. She pressed him further. "Do you want me?"

In that moment, he knew. Even if it was just a dream, he knew he wanted her. He was tired of resisting what his body clearly wanted, what _he_ wanted.

Some tiny part of his mind that was still capable of thinking said no, but he felt his lips form the word "Yes."

Her eyes gazed deep into his own, and she kissed him. Full and hard and passionate, it felt like an eternity before she broke away, her mouth trailing love bites down his jaw and neck. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes and moaning in approval. He relaxed, letting her do as she pleased. He didn't care anymore. He had fully given in.

He felt hands, tongue and hips as her actions all melted into one, short-circuiting his brain. He couldn't distinguish any sensation from the other. His breathing grew ragged as one of her hands mimicked the path it had followed just a few days earlier. Once again her fingers stopped just short of his waistband, but this time he didn't try to stop her. In fact, he was annoyed that the seeking fingers refused to go any lower. He opened his eyes, growling at her wordlessly in an attempt to urge her onward. One roll of her hips silenced him. She leaned forward, just as she had done on that night, her lips brushing over his own teasingly. He hissed in annoyance, leaning forward to capture her lips. She pulled away, a grin on her face, and he felt her fingers slip below his waistband, tracing over the muscles above his cock. He inadvertently gasped, clenching his teeth as shudders wracked his body. As her fingers crept down across his erection, she leaned forward to capture his mouth in a passionate kiss.

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><p>He awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for air and extremely disappointed at how abruptly his dream had ended. He took a moment to calm his breathing, the phantom touches still tingling across his body. He was so absorbed in trying to calm himself down that he almost didn't notice the slight rustle near the far wall of his cabin. Sitting up quickly, he narrowed his eyes to make out who was there. He could see a figure standing in the corner, silhouetted in darkness.<p>

"Who's there?" he growled, shifting nervously. The person sat quietly for a moment, observing him.

"Why are you so resistant?" the person asked softly, and he stiffened as he recognized the voice. _Hikari. Fuck, _wasn't it enough that she tortured him during the day? Now she had to harass him here too?

He started as her heard her footsteps coming closer. He wanted to run, but his body still remembered the dream and refused to move. She stopped at the side of his bed, glaring down at him.

"What?" he asked, his mind suddenly going blank. He had heard her question, but his mind was refusing to let him process what she had said. His eyes kept travelling down her body, always ending their trail at her hips.

"I asked," she hissed, grabbing the hair on top of his head and yanking his gaze up to meet hers. "Why the fuck are you being so resistant?" His eyes watered at the pain, but at the same time, it set his pulse racing. He found himself distracted by her eyes. Her expression darkened, and he could tell that she knew he wasn't paying attention. She could not have picked a worse time to start interrogating him. He was torn halfway between his subconscious desires and his knowledge of the consequences if he gave in. His body yearned for the continuation of the dream, but his mind knew that if that happened, it would only worsen the situation.

He hadn't realized that he had instinctively leaned in toward Hikari until she released his hair and met him halfway. Her lips met his, and he shivered violently. He felt his hands moving to grab her of their own accord, felt his fingers wrap around her arms, felt him pull her closer. To his surprise, she complied, crawling on the bed over top of him. She broke away, staring down at him with a confused look on her face. He stared back into her sea-grey eyes, silently pleading with her to continue, to alleviate his pain. He physically could not hold back any longer. And the hunger from his dream was still there, gnawing at the back of his mind. He wanted to touch, to be touched, to do sinful things to her and not give a damn about the consequences. The part of his mind that was protesting went silent as she hovered over him, deciding his fate.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she leaned back in. Her lips danced over his own, so tantalizingly close but never quite touching. Growling he leaned up, trying to capture her lips, but she pulled away, a grin spreading across her face. He felt her pin his arms down when he tried to pull her toward him, and he struggled momentarily against her surprisingly tight grip. Surprisingly, being restrained didn't bother him like he thought it would. He couldn't focus on it long enough to care anyway, his focus soon returned to the body over top of him. She brought her lips down to his ear, whispering, "How disappointing. You barely lasted a week." His breathing sped as she slowly dragged her tongue around his earrings. "I was hoping you would hold out for a bit longer. I had a couple other ideas I wanted to try out…" He stifled a groan at the implication in her words. Maybe caving in now hadn't been as bad as he'd thought…

A roll of her hips halted his train of thought, drawing a hiss from between his clenched teeth. "Of course, I can still play like this," she continued, acting as though she hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. He swallowed loudly, and she chuckled quietly, her lips trailing down his neck as she had done in the dream. He shuddered, closing his eyes and, for the first time, enjoying the sensations that were wracking his body. As she worked her way down his bare chest, he dimly wondered why he had resisted for so long when this felt _so damn good_. She hit the spot on his stomach from before, and he moaned. He stopped breathing when her lips hovered over the muscles just above his far too tight pants. She pulled back ever so slightly, and he opened his eyes to see why she wasn't doing anything. Her eyes were on his face, watching him intently. She simply sat there, much to Zoro's frustration. She had worked him up to the breaking point, only to stop again.

"Fucking do something!" he growled, struggling to sit up. She smirked, and releasing one of his hands, pressed him back into the bed. Her palm burned against his skin, and he relished in the contact. Leaning back over him, she hovered right in front of his face. "I'll keep going, but I have to let you go," she whispered. "You have to promise not to move, and to be quiet." Her last words had a hard edge to them, and his hazy mind vaguely wondered why she would say that. He nodded, curious as to what she could do that would require such a warning. She released his other arm, and she moved back down his body to where she had been positioned before. He felt her lips lower back to brush over the muscles of his lower abdomen, and he closed his eyes once again as the fire in his gut slowly intensified. He didn't notice her pulling at the tie of his pants, didn't notice her freeing his erection from his boxers. His mind was racing, pulling him to notice every sensation that assaulted him.

It all came screeching to a halt when he felt the flat of her tongue run along the underside of his cock. His eyes snapped open and he fisted his hands in the sheets, fighting back a scream. His heart quite literally stopped, then resumed at triple time. His breathing became short, quick gasps. He was paralyzed, unable to move. He felt Hikari blow gently across the tip, and he tensed, biting down hard on his lower lip to keep from moaning loudly. He didn't see how it could get any more intense than it already was.

Until she lowered her mouth over his erection.

Zoro had heard other men talk about being on the receiving end of a blowjob, and how utterly magnificent it was. He had disregarded what they had said, telling himself that it couldn't be any better than jacking off.

Oh, how wrong he was.

He had to fight to keep from thrusting his hips up. He clenched his jaw so tight it hurt, a high pitched whine issuing forth despite his Herculean efforts to remain silent. His entire body shuddered as she slowly worked at his erection, lips and tongue working together in ways that he had never imagined. The fire in his gut was now a raging inferno, and it had spread, coursing throughout his entire body. He choked on his own breath; his throat was so constricted and dry. He was dizzy, his mind trapped in a haze of pleasure. He desperately wanted to move, to speed up the agonizingly slow pace, but Hikari had warned him not to do so. Zoro writhed, completely at her mercy. He was forced to clap a hand over his mouth to silence himself as she, seeming to have read his mind, deep-throated him and hummed. He squeezed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth and tried to keep from screaming.

He felt the all-too familiar rush that came before climax, and he tried to alert Hikari. "Oi," he gasped, his rasping voice sounding harsh on his own ears. Hikari either ignored him or didn't hear him. He tried again. "Oi!" he managed to choke out. "Stop, before…"

In a flash, her face was inches from his own, her hand replacing her mouth on his cock. "Before what?" she purred, stroking him slowly and deliberately. He gritted his teeth, unable to string together the words to answer. Her face hovered above his, almost tauntingly, as she milked him to the point of climax. He felt himself go over the edge, every fiber in his body screaming with ecstasy. His vision went black for a moment. When he finally came down from his high, he was surprised to discover Hikari's lips clamped over his own. She broke away, scowling at him. "Damn, you're loud," she huffed.

He honestly did not give a damn. He felt absolutely magnificent. Basking in the afterglow, he sighed as he felt all the tension draining from him body. He felt his eyelids droop, and he realized how exhausted he was. Fighting to keep his eyes open, he felt Hikari's lips brush gently across his forehead.

"Sleep," she murmured softly, and he obeyed, drifting off into a deep slumber.

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	15. The Sky

Holy crap, it's been a while since I've posted.

I'm really sorry about that, too. I had a crap-ton of chapters written, waiting to be edited and uploaded.

And then my computer got a virus and crashed. And erased EVERYTHING.

Luckily, my parents bought me a new computer, so I have something. But I have to rewrite EVERYTHING.

I'm so pissed...

But enough about that! Read on!

I actually never had this chapter to begin with, but I've been playing way too much Skyward Sword, and I'm currently obsessed with the idea of flying. So it ended up here. :/

I'll try to post more chapters soon, but I'm leaving on vacation, and I might not have internet. I will definitely write, though, and if I don't get a chance to upload anything, I'll upload a bunch of chapters when I get back.

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

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><p>Hikari soared through the blue sky, her wings extended to their maximum span. The sea flashed by beneath her, throwing the sunlight in odd directions as it bounced off the dark waves. She experimentally flapped her wings, craning her neck back to make sure that the contraption strapped to her back was still in place. Surprisingly, the small leather saddle was still attached, and hadn't shifted at all during her flight. She had to hand it to Usopp: he certainly knew how to design things. Turning her attention to her flight, she beat her wings once again, and then tilted, turning around and flying back towards the ship.<p>

As she approached the Thousand Sunny, she observed that the entire crew had gathered on the deck during her flight. She circled above the ship a few times, her sea-grey eyes seeking out the person she was looking for. Folding her wings ever so slightly, she entered into a shallow dive towards the deck. Snapping her wings open at the last minute, she sent a sharp gust of wind at the swordsman, who was napping in his usual spot. He had just woken up from last night, and here he was sleeping again. Hikari desperately wanted to talk to Zoro, to get inside his head and find out what exactly was going on in that thick skull of his. She flapped her wings to steady herself, and grabbed the railing beside the swordsman with her talons. Ruffling her feathers, she folded her wings back in against her sides and turned her attention from Zoro, who had just opened his eyes, to Usopp and the rest of the crew.

"So? How was it?" Usopp called out, trotting over to where Hikari was perched.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zoro stiffen slightly, and she knew he was thinking dirty things. Luckily, it was easy to hide a grin in her owl form, or the others might have noticed something. "It was fine," she replied. "I hardly felt it when I was flying."

"Good, good," the sharpshooter nodded emphatically. "Here, let me take it off."

Zoro was beginning to standing up to leave when he heard Usopp utter those words. He staggered and fell back to his seat on the deck. He quickly turned his face away, but Hikari caught a glimpse of red tingeing his cheeks. This was turning out to be far more fun than she had imagined it would be…

Spreading her wings, she bared the saddle straps to Usopp. He deftly unhooked the various clasps and the saddle slid easily off. Usopp took the leather contraption and hurried off to make a few adjustments. Fluffing her feathers, she beat her wings a few times, stretching her muscles before settling back on her perch. She half buried her head in the downy feathers around her neck, closing her eyes momentarily to enjoy a cool breeze. When she opened them again, she saw Zoro staring at her, lost in thought. She turned her head slightly, locking her gaze with his. He started, and looked away, his face turning an odd shade of red.

"So," Hikari hooted quietly, her eyes still on the swordsman. "You seem well rested."

Zoro, still refusing to meet her gaze, nodded once in reply. Smirking to herself, she turned her gaze to the ocean, mesmerized by the rolling waves. She heard him draw in a breath as if to speak, but he said nothing, leaving the awkward silence unbroken.

Hikari herself didn't even know what to say. The silence was stifling, suffocating any possible conversation. She shifted slightly on her perch, ruffling her wings against a light gust of wind. Her saving grace arrived in the form of Usopp, Franky and Chopper shouting at Luffy. "What did that idiot do now?" both she and Zoro grumbled at the same time. They both went to move, then both froze as they realized what had happened.

Fortunately neither of them had to move, as the argument found them. Along the way, it had picked up Nami and Sanji, with Robin and Brook watching from the sidelines. Nami was screaming at a far too happy Luffy, who looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"For the last time, NO!" Nami shouted at the captain. "You are not allowed to ride Hikari!"

"WHAT?" Hikari and Zoro shouted in reply.

Usopp turned towards them with a worried look on his face. "Luffy wants to be the first person to test out your saddle," he explained. "We told him it was too dangerous. If he falls off, he'll drown, and we won't be able to save him."

"It'll be ok!" Luffy chirped happily. "I won't fall off."

"You don't know that!" Chopper cried, wringing his hooves together.

Luffy laughed at Chopper, reaching down to pat the reindeer's head. "Fine. If everyone's so worried, how about Zoro goes first?"

Zoro, who had been drifting back to sleep, jerked up. "Wait, what?" he asked nervously. His eyes darted to Hikari and back to the crew. "No! Get someone else to do it."

"What's the matter?" Sanji taunted. "Afraid of falling?"

"No!" Zoro snapped.

"So you'll go then."

"… Fine."

Hikari chose that moment to snap her wings out and let out a shrill screech, commanding everyone's attention. "Do I get a say in this?" she demanded, fury radiating off her in waves. Usopp flinched away, but Luffy laughed, clapping her on the shoulder. "It's an order, silly. You have to do it, remember?"

Growling under her breath, she realized he was right. She sat sullenly as Usopp prepared the saddle. Once all the straps were tightened, she spread her wings, crouching on the deck as to give Zoro room to mount her. She snorted at the thought. She never thought she'd have such a thing flit through her brain.

After much shouting and shoving, she felt Zoro tentatively settle his weight on the leather seat. She sagged slightly: he was heavier than she had been expecting. The thick leather band that served as a handhold tightened, signaling that the swordsman was ready. Spreading her wings, she flapped them experimentally a few times, before sprinting for the edge of the ship and throwing herself off the railing.

And she promptly dropped like a rock.

Spinning in the air, Hikari tried to right herself. The weight was throwing her off: she didn't know how to fly with it yet. She could barely hear Zoro shouting over the sound of the wind rushing past her head. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and snapped her wings open at the last possible minute, soaring just over the top of the waves. She sailed effortlessly over the sea, one talon dropped to brush the surface of the cool blue water. The grip on the leather band lessened as Zoro relaxed, and she felt his weight shift as he sat up ever so slightly. She tilted her wings, keeping their path straight. She stole a glance back at the swordsman, and saw a look of wonder on his face. As she dipped her left wing to turn, he reached a hand out to brush the water splashing up across her wing.

Hikari returned her gaze to the view before her, a strange warmth building deep in her chest. She felt a surge of energy, and, acting upon it, beat her strong wings, taking their path higher. She flew higher, her sights set on the golden sun above. Ignoring Zoro's worried comments, she kept flying. She wanted to be close to the ball of warmth, to soar above the world and fly on forever. Finally, she felt the muscles in her wings screaming in protest.

"Stop!" Zoro practically screamed in her ear. Annoyed, she turned her head to look back at him.

"Is that an order?" she called out over the wind. Zoro frowned as he pondered her question, then realization flashed across his face. He opened his mouth to take back what he had said, but it was too late. Hikari folded her wings, and they dropped, the wind stealing Zoro's words from his mouth. She continued to plumbed, until finally she heard Zoro shout, "Open your wings, dammit!"

Obliging, she snapped open her wings, screeching to a halt and giving Zoro some severe backlash. She floated on an upward draft, circling slowly higher.

"Dammit, what are you doing?" he snarled, yanking on some of her feathers to get her attention. Glaring back at him, she replied, "I'm just following orders, you ass."

She turned back, laughing internally as Zoro fumed under his breath. "Fine," he snapped. "Just fly already."

"We are flying, dumbass. You need to be a bit more specific than _that_."

Zoro was silent as he pondered what to do next. Hikari sighed, glad for a momentary break, but disappointed about the return of the silence. She wanted words, craved the hidden messages behind them. She couldn't understand the things passed in silence.

"I don't know," she heard Zoro mutter. "I don't know how this works. What the hell do you want me to do?"

Hikari looked back, locking her gaze with his emerald green eyes. "Show me," she said simply. "Lead me to where you want to go."

Zoro sat silently for a moment, and she began to think that he would never answer. Angrily tearing her gaze from him, she started when she felt a slight tug on the leather band around her neck. Curious, she responded by leaning in the same direction, lifting her right wing and performing a banking turn. She felt Zoro tug upward, and she followed, climbing higher. Without realizing it, the two were soaring effortlessly through the skies, performing a graceful dance in a room of blue. Zoro would lead, and Hikari would follow. The two were a perfect combination, each anticipating the others movements and responding in proper accordance. The wind provided the rhythm, creating a whistling tune to which the pair danced to. No words were spoken, for words would have broken the glorious silence that enveloped them. So much was said without either of them even needing to open their mouths.

Finally, they found themselves circling above the Sunny. Hikari felt the band around her neck slacken, and she gently drifted down, landing lightly on the deck. Luffy came sprinting over, throwing his arms around the swordsman and practically bouncing from excitement. "Well? Well?" he questioned gleefully. "How was it? Was it fun? Can I try?"

"It was… nice," Zoro responded, taking a moment to carefully choose his words. "And no, you can't try. Flying is harder than it looks."

Hikari had already shifted back to human form, not bothering to wait for the others to arrive. She flopped down on her back with a sigh. Her entire body was sore. Flying had taken more out of her than she had initially thought.

She closed her eyes, wanting a moment to think for herself. But she was rudely interrupted by Sanji's cry of "DINNER!" Her stomach growled in response, and she suddenly remembered that she had gone all day without food. Opening her eyes, she sat up, slipping the leather harness off her shoulders. She started to stand when a hand extended in front of her. Zoro stood awkwardly before her, his hand outstretched as if to help her up. She cocked an eyebrow, glancing up at him. He huffed, balling his other hand into a fist by his side. "Do you want me to help you back up or what?" he growled.

Hikari smirked, grasping the swordsman's hand and pulling herself up. His calloused fingers were rough against her smooth skin. She started, realizing that she was still holding his hand. Their eyes met, and both of them jerked back, dropping their hands and walking to the galley in silence.

Dinner was the usual chaos. Whatever awkwardness that was present between Hikari and Zoro dropped away around the rest of the crew. They were both talkative, laughing at the crew's antics. Neither noticed that they were slightly closer to one another than was usually permitted, or that they brushed against the other when reaching for a bowl or falling back in a fit of laughter, or that their bickering was slightly less antagonistic than usual. Everything seemed normal, yet nothing was the same between the two.

Towards the end of the meal, Nami interrupted everyone's merriment. "Everyone!" she called out. "I have some important news."

Hikari rolled her eyes and, grabbing her plate, went to help herself to more food.

"As you all know, we've been headed for the Ryūnoichizoku's base." Hikari froze in place, rooted to the spot.

Nami noted Hikari's reaction, and took a deep breath, bracing herself. "I'm letting you all know that we will be arriving on their island tomorrow."

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	16. Confiding

Oh, I hate not having internet… It's like hell. Luckily, I had video games. :D

But yeah. I had a lot of time to write too, which was good. I haven't written in a while, so I'm a bit rusty…

At any rate, I wanted to do some more fluff and shit, but I wanted a plot, and I can't ignore it anymore, so it's gonna be a lot of plot for a while. Sorry.

I will be posting some shorts that I didn't get to add into the storyline. Lots of fluff. XD

Oh, and I don't want this to turn into a giant songfic, cause I don't like those, but I was listening to Everything by Buckcherry, and it kinda influenced this.

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

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><p><em>Buried way beneath the sheets<em>

_I think she's having a meltdown_

_Finding it hard to fall asleep_

_She won't let anyone help her_

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><p>"<em>I'm letting you all know that we will be arriving on their island tomorrow."<em>

Zoro's attention was drawn away from Nami by the sound of glass shattering. His instincts instantly flew to "defend". He leapt up, spinning toward the sound, his hand hovering over his favorite katana.

Hikari stood rooted to the spot, looking like she had seen a ghost. Her face was white, her eyes were wide. The plate she had been holding was in pieces on the ground, but her hand was extended as if she was still holding the now-shattered plate.

The crew stared, unsure on how to react. Finally, Sanji got up wordlessly from his chair and began to pick up the porcelain shards. The action snapped Hikari out of her daze. Cursing under her breath, she knelt to help pick up the pieces. Zoro relaxed hesitantly, unsure of what to do. Carefully holding the shards, Sanji stood up, glaring at the swordsman. "Stop standing there like an idiot and come help us out!" he snarled.

Walking silently over, Zoro knelt beside Hikari, carefully plucking the shards off the dark wood flooring. The two worked in silence while Sanji ran to find a broom and a dustpan. Without realizing it, he and Hikari reached for the same piece, their hands brushing together. Hikari jerked back like she had been burned, clenching her hand into a fist. Standing abruptly, she turned and left, leaving Zoro staring at the place where she had been. His hand tingled where she had touched him. He stared at his hand like he had never seen it before.

Hikari's hands had been shaking.

Before he could follow her, the cook returned with the broom, forcing cleaning duty upon him before dashing after Hikari. Zoro mulled over her reaction as he swept up the remains of the plate. He couldn't understand why she had reacted like that to Nami's news. She should be relieved, right? Once they beat the Ryūnoichizoku, she would finally be free.

It was almost like she was afraid…

Dinner continued on in awkward silence. Sanji eventually returned, bringing news that Hikari had retired for the evening and would not be joining them. Eventually, some conversation was started, but the crew's mind was clearly on other things.

Finally, the meal was over. Zoro grabbed a plate of food (much to Sanji's dismay) and made his way to Hikari's room. He stopped just outside the door, a fist held up to the wood as if to knock. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should even be here. Concern overrode this fleeting doubt, and he rapped his knuckles against the smooth wood. "Oi, I'm coming in," he called out, a hand already on the door handle.

No lights were on in the room, and it took a second for Zoro's eyes to adjust to the dark. After a few seconds, he was able to make out Hikari curled up on her bed. He almost didn't realize that it was her, as she had the sheets pulled up over her head. Zoro stopped just inside the door, unsure of what to do now. It struck him that this was the first time he had ever been in her room. The room smelled like her…

"What do you want?" Her muffled voice snapped him out of his daze. Steeling himself, he stomped over to the small table positioned in the corner, dropping the plate of food unceremoniously on it.

"Sanji insisted on you eating something," he called out gruffly, trying to cover up his nervousness. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest and fixed his gaze on the lump under the sheets.

"Not hungry."

Zoro suddenly felt a wordless rage bubbling up within him. It was unexplainable, unreasonable, and he had to fight back a growl that threatened to force its way out of his throat. How was it that this strong woman, this powerful fighter, was cowering in fear? It was inexcusable! This was not how the Hikari he knew acted.

"What's wrong with you?" he finally asked, forcing his voice to remain steady. Hikari didn't respond, simply curling up further. Zoro narrowed his eyes. "What are you afraid of?"

The effect of his statement was instantaneous. Hikari jerked up, fixing a deadly glare on the swordsman. "What the hell did you say?" she hissed.

"I knew it," Zoro smirked. "You are afraid." Hikari glowered, but offered no form of protest. He huffed in a deep breath, and started talking.

"Look," he began. "I don't expect you to spill everything or gush out a crapload of emotional bullshit. Seeing as I'm probably one of the most reserved people on this ship, it'd be hypocritical to expect that from you. And yes, I use big words. Get over it." He cut off Hikari's snide comment. "But you can't just bottle everything up. You did that once, and we all know that it didn't end well. Plus, I don't want you to kick me again."

Hikari was silent, her gaze softened slightly. Zoro could have sworn he saw a flash of pain in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant.

"You don't need to talk," he murmured. "But you can't isolate yourself from the world." Taking a deep breath, he took a leap of faith. "I'm willing to just sit here with you. You can talk, or you can be silent. I don't care. Just don't lock yourself away like this."

Silence fell over the room, and Zoro felt like an immense weight was smothering him. He shifted, clearing his throat uncomfortably. Hikari had laced her fingers together and was staring down at them intently. She closed her eyes, pressing her fingertips to her temples.

"You don't know what they're like," she finally muttered. "These people won't stop until they get what they want."

Zoro snorted. "Is that all?" he grumbled, walking over to ruffle her white hair. She glared up at him, but made no move to stop him. "Don't worry," he continued, making his way to the door. "I won't let them hurt you." Opening the door, he walked out, his worry diminished.

After the door had closed, Hikari turned her gaze to the door, staring after the swordsman. She sighed, running her fingers through her unruly hair.

"Would you still say that if you knew what I've done?" she whispered.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	17. Weathering the Storm

I hate writer's block. Apparently, my muse hates me, and went on vacation. I literally could not think of _anything _to write.

This chapter was painful. Just... Ugh. Writer's block. :(

At any rate, this story just keeps getting longer and longer. It's kind of amusing, because when I started, it was a half-assed short that my friend made me write. XD

Listening to the Sherlock Holmes soundtracks. Those movies are grand. And it helps that Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are very pretty. :3

Well, here we go! I might not update for a while, as I'll need to get over this lack of a muse.

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>Lightning flashed across the sky, momentarily illuminating the almost pitch-black darkness of the storm. Less than a second later, an ear-piercing thunder boom ripped through the gale, vibrating the boards of the Thousand Sunny. Rain pelted down, drenching the ship, and its crew, with huge orbs of cold, half-frozen water. The wind whipped by, moaning and groaning as it tried to rip the sails from the ship.<p>

Zoro stood on the deck, numb hands clutching the ropes attached to the main sail. The rope seemed to have a mind of its own, thrashing back and forth in the wind as it tried to escape his grasp. Zoro once again wished he'd worn a coat. The rain had quickly drenched his clothes, and the wind had chilled him to the bone. He was freezing, and starting to go numb. And the storm didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon.

He scanned the deck, barely able to make out the rest of the crew in the torrential downpour. Luckily, nobody had gone overboard yet. A flash of white caught his eye, and his gaze was drawn to Hikari, still standing in place at the front of the ship.

Not for the first time tonight, he wondered if she knew what the hell she was doing.

* * *

><p>"We have to change course!" Nami shouted over the roaring winds. The rest of the crew could barely hear what she was saying.<p>

"But whyyyyyyyyy?" Luffy whined, tugging on the navigator's arm, a pout threatening to surface on his young face.

"Do you NOT see that?" she screeched, pointing at a line of ominous looking clouds on the horizon. "I haven't seen a storm this bad in ages! If we go into that mess, the ship will capsize!"

Zoro narrowed his eyes, squinting against the wind to inspect the rapidly approaching storm. "Isn't the island on the other side?" he asked, looking back at Nami. "Is there an easy way around that thing?"

Nami shook her head. "It's too big of a storm, and it's too close. We have to go back for now."

"No," a voice announced, cutting through the noisy wind and attracting everyone's attention. Hikari walked silently up to the front of the ship, her arms crossed over her chest. Zoro, and probably everyone else, gawked at her outfit. She was wearing a black form-fitting turtleneck and matching pants. Her black combat boots made almost no noise as she walked over to the ship's figurehead. A maroon scarf fluttered behind her in the wind, matching the hilt of her cursed sword, which hung low on her left hip. Zoro was loathe to admit it, but she looked _good_.

"Keep going straight," she continued, eyes narrowed against the wind. "It's just one of the island's defenses. As long as I'm on board, we can sail straight through."

"Go through? You can't be serious!" Nami yelped, her eyes widening in shock and fear. Hikari didn't respond, instead staring off toward the towering line of clouds that was rapidly drawing closer. Luffy broke the silence, giggling as he leapt up on the ship's figurehead.

"Yosh!" he grinned, one hand clutching his hat. "Full speed ahead!"

* * *

><p>A huge wave almost overtook the ship, soaking him to the bone and erasing any hope the swordsman had of being even slightly dry. The winds had picked up in intensity, and the ship sounded like it was going to fall apart at any minute. The rope was slipping from his grip, and he desperately willed himself to persevere for just a moment longer.<p>

When he felt like he couldn't hold on any longer, he heard Franky whoop with joy. "I see sunlight!" he shouted gleefully. "We're almost thought!"

The ship finally broke through the clouds, and Zoro had to raise a hand to shade his vision from the blinding sunlight that was suddenly streaming through from above. He looked up in wonder. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Turning to look back, he saw a wall of clouds swirling ominously behind them. The sudden jump from storm to calm was unnerving.

"What the hell were you THINKING? You could have killed us!" Nami screeched, drawing Zoro's attention back to Hikari. The navigator had the white haired girl by the scarf, and was shaking her furiously. Zoro tuned out her rant, shaking water from his hair. With a heavy sigh, he trudged back up the stairs.

"I'm going to change," he grumbled, stomping off in his soaking boots. He heard the rest of the crew trudging to their respective rooms, presumably to change clothes as well.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, Zoro didn't get to change like he wanted. He was pulled into a "strategy meeting" by the over-excited captain, and ended up having to sit through a half hour of debate. He finally ended up storming out frustrated, leaving Luffy and Nami to sort out the rest.<p>

Slamming the door behind him, he trudged over to his dresser. Yanking a drawer open, he grabbed a new shirt and pants, throwing them on the bed behind him. He had difficulty pulling his soaked shirt from his body, as the wet fabric was sticking to him. He threw the drenched shirt to the side in frustration, and froze when he heard the door silently click shut. He stilled his breathing, straining to hear any movement from the person he knew had just entered his room. Zoro stiffened as he felt narrow arms snake around his chest from behind.

"How do you do that?" he hissed quietly, suddenly feeling the need to lower his voice.

He felt Hikari press her lips against his shoulder blade and hum lightly, as she thought about the question.

"I wonder," she murmured, her breath hot against his cold skin. He shuddered involuntarily at the sensation, and he could almost hear the smirk in her voice. "That's a secret I don't plan on revealing any time soon, thought. I rather like being mysterious."

Zoro swallowed, staring at the wall before him. "What do you want?" he muttered, struggling to keep his voice steady. He started as Hikari dragged one of her hands down his chest. "You're cold," she commented, ignoring his question. Her hand traveled lower, drawing lazy circles across his abdomen. "You should… warm up."

Zoro could have sword he heard his own heart stop. He couldn't believe his own ears. The words themselves were harmless, but he felt the meaning behind them pressing down on him like a one-ton weight. Hikari's arms left his body, and he heard her step back. Composing himself, he turned to see what she was doing.

Hikari had abandoned her scarf and turtleneck from earlier, opting for a simple black tank top. She sat on the edge of his bed, her arms crossed over her chest. She cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side, giving Zoro a look that clearly said, "Are you coming or not?"

Zoro stood in a daze. He really didn't know how to react to this. His brain was racing at a million miles an hour, but nothing useful came to the front of his mind. He watched numbly as she rolled her eyes at him, stood up, and walked over to where he stood rooted to the spot. "I have to do everything, don't I?" she grumbled, before grabbing him by the ears and yanking him down into a passionate kiss.

Thoughts shattered as her lips met his. He felt his body move almost of its own accord, taking over for his confused mind. He forgot about the imminently approaching island, about the rest of the crew preparing for battle, about his own doubts. The rest of the world fell away, and there was only Hikari and himself, and the very warm bed.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	18. Beginnings

God, it has been forever since I've last updated!

I've had the worst writer's block known to man. It literally just let up. I just wrote this chapter. O_o

Also, I've been super busy...

But we have a new chapter! Which is good!

Random fact of the day: I'm sooooooo excited for the new Stephanie Plum movie that's coming out at the end of this month! O3O You have no idea how excited I am. It's gonna be great.

Flashbacks and character development! The stuff with the old pirate will make sense eventually. Just trust me. :D

Also, Zoro started it. *finger pointing*

(All of this will make sense after you read)

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>"So what happens next?"<p>

Hikari's gaze rose, glancing at the old, one-legged pirate in the cell next to hers. She sighed, pulling her knees in closer to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. She sat for a moment with her eyes closed, listening to the noises of the filthy prison. She heard a drip from a leaky pipe overhead, the constant huff of the all-too bored guard, and if she really strained her hearing, she could pick up the familiar sound of the ocean surf pounding against the coast.

"Well?" the prisoner demanded. "You can't just start a story and end it halfway through! What happened?"

"Nothing happened," Hikari responded, opening her eyes once again and staring at the grimy bars that restrained her.

The old man snorted. "I find that hard to believe," he grumbled under his breath. Somewhere, a door slammed, and she heard footsteps echoing down the hall. "Thank god," the guard murmured, standing up and striding toward whoever was approaching. "'Bout damn time they send a shift change. I _cannot_ put up with any more of this crap…" He brushed past his replacement, storming out of the prison. Both Hikari and the old pirate looked up at the replacement guard. He was tall and burly, and the suit of armor he wore obviously did not fit him. His eyes were shaded by his helmet, and Hikari found herself remembering the way Zoro looked when he wore his bandana.

The old man gave the guard a once over, then turned back to Hikari. "You don't mean to tell me that you didn't even have sex with the man?" he questioned. The guard, who had been walking over to the lone chair propped against the wall, stumbled and spun around to look incredulously at them. The old man glared at him. "What? Are you new or something? People who are about to die talk about all sorts of things. Get used to it, kid."

Hikari growled at the question. "Why should I have to explain my sex life to _you_?" she snarled, glaring at the old pirate. The man in question returned her glare. "I don't know. _You_ were the one who went on a rant about your life story when I asked why you were here!"

"Well, _you _were the one who wanted more details when I gave my initial response!"

The two prisoners glared at each other, before Hikari laughed and shook her head. "No, I didn't sleep with Zoro," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. The guard stiffened visibly at the name, and opened his mouth as if to ask a question. "Yes?" the old pirate snapped in the guard's direction. "Do you have a question, brat?"

"When you say 'Zoro', you don't mean… Roronoa Zoro… Do you?" the guard asked hesitantly, his voice a surprisingly pleasant baritone. Hikari nodded, a smirk playing over her face as the guard sat back in shock. The old man had been the same way at first, before she had explained the soap opera that was her life.

"Why _didn't_ you have sex with him?" the old man demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and scooting closer to her cell. "The way you talk about the boy makes it seem like you have strong feelings for him. So why not act on it?"

"I don't know," Hikari huffed, resting her chin on her knees. "It just… didn't seem right. We were almost to the island, and… I wasn't in the mood."

The old man snorted. "Women," he muttered under his breath. "Always have their excuses."

Hikari closed her eyes, growling in frustration. She had relived it all hundreds of times, and she still couldn't figure it out. "This relationship with Zoro… It's complicated."

"The plot thickens," the old man drawled sarcastically. "What's so damn complicated about it?"

Hikari sucked in a deep breath, preparing herself mentally. "When I stole from the crew, it wasn't the first time I had met Zoro."

Both the old man and the guard, who had been listening intently from his post, looked surprised. "The plot _does_ thicken," the old man commented. "Do tell."

Hikari sighed, closing her eyes again and recalling that day…

* * *

><p><em>One and a half years prior…<em>

"Shiro, you _can't _be serious," Fai drawled, glaring at her best friend from over her steepled fingers. Hikari glared at the brunette, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's wrong with it?" she huffed, fingering the sleeves of her new leather jacket.

"Do you want me to be honest?" the brunette asked bluntly, earning a burning glare from Hikari. "It's too flashy. You'd be picked out faster than you could say 'Marineford'. And are you _serious_? A bounty hunter?"

"I need the money," Hikari whined. "Plus, I think I'd be good at it."

"I think you need to reassess yourself, darling. You'd die on day one."

Hikari scowled, plopping into the chair beside her friend. "I really need the money, Fai. I can barely pay the bills as it is, and now those Dragons are on my ass about 'loyalty payments'. I need Beri, and fast. Jules said if you catch a good bounty, it pays out immediately."

"All the good bounties are high because they're _dangerous_," Fai hissed.

"Are you saying I can't take care of myself?" Hikari growled, one hand clutching her trusty pocket knife. "I know how to use a blade."

"Your puny little knife won't do jack shit against guns and swords. You'll just piss them off," Fai sighed, shaking her head. "What you need to do is find another bounty hunter who's actually _good_ at what they do and follow them. You can claim a share of the bounty if you stick with them."

Hikari rolled her eyes at Fai. "And where the hell am I going to find someone who wants to work with _me_?"

At that moment, Roronoa Zoro walked down the street.

Both Fai and Hikari gaped as the green-haired man walked by, his three swords hanging from his belt. He had a frown on his face, and glanced around, looking thoroughly lost. Fai giggled, watching him walk away. "Ooh, look at that hunk of man-meat," she purred, licking her lips. "He's _gorgeous_."

"Holy crap," Hikari murmured, a light bulb going off in her brain.

"I know. Look at that ass!"

"No, you idiot! He's a pirate!" Hikari grinned, snatching a piece of paper from her bag and waving it in front of Fai's face. "He's Roronoa Zoro! He has a bounty!"

"You aren't gonna…"

"Oh yes I am. I'm going to take him in," Hikari announced, standing out and puffing her chest out. "It can't be _that_ hard." With that, she snatched her bag and darted off after the pirate.

"Famous last words!" Fai called out after her, before settling back into her seat and sipping her coffee.

* * *

><p>Hikari sprinted around the corner, and almost ran smack into Zoro. She slowly brought her gaze up to meet his. He was <em>not <em>amused. If looks could kill, Hikari was sure she would have died instantaneously.

"Why are you following me?" he growled, his dark gaze fixed intently on her.

Hikari cursed mentally as she backed up into the wall. He was slightly more intimidating than he had appeared earlier. She was definitely _not_ prepared for this. She was already trying to find a way to escape. Desperate for a way to stall, she opted for the adorable, innocent look. Crossing her arms behind her back, she gazed up at him with wide eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," she muttered, turning her gaze down to the street and scuffing the toe of her new boots on the concrete (Fai would kill her for that later). "I just… I wanted to talk to you… alone." She silently dug into her bag for the handcuffs she had packed.

The swordsman's gaze was cold. "Well, I don't care. Stop following me." Just as he turned his back to leave, Hikari's grasp found the cold metal of the cuffs. Yanking them out of the bag, she lunged at Zoro.

The next thing she knew, her back was pressed roughly against the wall and her hands were pinned above her head, with the swordsman leaning over her. Tugging the cuffs from her hand, Zoro looked at them, then turned furiously on Hikari.

"You were going to take me in?" he hissed. Hikari swallowed nervously, nodding slightly. Zoro glared at her for a moment, before she noticed a smirk cross his face. He chuckled, and then laughed uncontrollably at her. Hikari stared, not entirely sure what to think. Finally, her anger got the better of her, and she shouted, "What the hell are you laughing at?"

"You," he chuckled, opening the handcuffs and grabbing her wrists again. "The fact that someone as inept as _you_ thinks that she can take someone like _me_ down." Hikari froze as she felt the cold metal of the cuffs snap around her wrists. Glancing up, she discovered that Zoro had handcuffed her to the pipe running parallel to the roof. And he was _smirking_. She snarled and lunged at him, only to have her personal space suddenly invaded by the swordsman. His face was inches from her own, his breath hot on her face. He tilted his head slightly, scrutinizing her closely. Hikari knew she should be frightened out of her ever-living mind, but she could only think about how attractive he was up close.

Suddenly, his lips were pressed up against her own. Time seemed to stop as Hikari realized that Roronoa Zoro was _kissing_ her. Then it was over, his breath ghosting over her face as he whispered, "Come back in a few years, and try again." Then he was gone, leaving a flustered Hikari dangling from a drainage pipe in a back alley.

* * *

><p>"So what was the point of that story?" the old pirate grumbled, despite being clearly enraptured by the tale.<p>

"The point is that I've known him for longer than he knows," she sighed in defeat. "He didn't recognize me, after all these years…"

"All these years?" the old man asked incredulously. "It's barely been two years! Don't make it sound like you knew him as a kid!"

Hikari shot the old man a glare, then shook her head. "I don't know… Ever since then… I just-"

"You've liked him since then, haven't you?"

Hikari nodded, her face blank. The old man scrutinized her from his cell, then sighed at what he saw.

"You've loved him since then."

Hikari didn't respond, but there was no need. Her answer was clear.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated!


	19. Conflict

Another chapter!

Hopefully, any confusion is cleared up in the next few chapters.

I like telling stories as flashbacks, if you didn't notice.

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p>The young guard was clearly having a hard time keeping himself awake. It amused Hikari to watch his valiant struggle against the black embrace of sleep. At one point, he actually fell out of his chair, and she couldn't help but howl with laughter. He shot her a glare, but she ignored it, chuckling to herself as he started pacing the room instead. In some ways, the guard reminded her of Zoro. But she cast that thought aside. She was just getting hopeful now. There was no way he would come to save her…<p>

"Why not?" the old pirate mumbled, cracking one eye open to cast a curious look in her direction. She hadn't even realized that she had been talking out loud. With a sigh, she stared out the narrow barred window.

"Because of what I did when we got on the island."

* * *

><p>"LUFFY, NO!"<p>

"But Nami! I wanna go kick their asses _now_!" the captain whined, struggling to escape from her death grip on his arm.

"No!" Nami shouted, wrenching him back into the ship. "We're not going to charge in with guns blazing like we did at Enies Lobby!"

"Actually, that's not too bad of a plan," Hikari commented as she brushed past, hopping off the ship. "Just follow me," she shouted from the ground.

Nami sighed and grumbled to herself as she trudged after the rest of the crew.

* * *

><p>"Why is this taking so long?" Luffy whined again. Hikari gritted her teeth and forced herself not to strangle him. Turning around, she shot him a deadly glare. "This is the only way to the Ryūnoichizoku's base from sea level. Now shut up, before someone finds us!"<p>

Turning back to the path before her, she continued along the all-too familiar path. Her steps were heavy as she trudged up the dark mountain. She was the only one who knew what would happen on this island. The rest were completely unprepared for what was to come. But she soldiered on, held her tongue. She wanted to just leave so badly, but she knew this was all unavoidable.

She stopped at the crest of the hill, staring at the magnificent building standing before her. The rest of the crew was quick to catch up, and they stood gawking at the structure before them. Hikari knew that it was quite incredible; after all, the entire sculpture had been carved out of the side of the mountain.

The mountain which, at that moment, chose to rumble ominously and spew black smoke from the crater where the tip should be.

"What the hell?" Sanji shouted, trying to keep his balance.

"Is that…" Robin trailed off, staring wide eyed at the dark smoke issuing from the crater above them.

"Yes. This island is a volcano," Hikari responded simply, acting as if it was no big deal. Well, to be fair, it shouldn't be such a big deal. After all, she had spent many years of her life here. "Let's keep moving. I don't like being so exposed."

Zoro nodded in agreement and stomped ahead, not even waiting for the rest of the crew. Hikari stared after him, wondering where the hell he was going. "Zoro," she shouted. "It's the other way."

Zoro turned around to glare at her, trying to hide a blush. Hikari smirked at him, and was about to turn and walk in the proper direction, when a flash caught her eye. She stared at the air behind Zoro, a frown on her face. There was nothing there, but she could have sworn she had seen something…

"What are you looking at?" Zoro grumbled, reclaiming her attention. She opened her mouth to say that it was nothing, that she must have been seeing things, when a man in all black appeared behind Zoro, with a sword drawn.

"Zoro, DUCK!" she screamed, lunging forward. Zoro spun around, leaning back to barely dodge the blade. He staggered backwards a few steps before regaining his footing.

"Hm, not bad," the man in black commented. He rested the tip of his sword on the ground, and took a moment to adjust his tie. Hikari stopped a few steps away, and it took her a moment to recognize him.

"Walter," she hissed, her hands flying to her sword. The man in question smiled politely, placing a hand on his chest and bowing deeply. "At your service, madam," he replied, his tone mocking. His dark eyes flickered across the rest of the crew, coming to rest on Hikari.

"My, my, Hikari-san. It has been a while," he stated, his tone surprisingly pleasant. "You seem to have changed quite a lot since our last encounter. However, _this_," he gestured to the crew, "does not bode well. Are you conspiring against us, little one?"

In response, Hikari drew her sword. The ringing of steel leaving its sheath echoed around them.

"I'll take that as a yes," Walter smiled cruelly, and he was gone in a flash.

Hikari started, her eyes darting around the area as she sought the man out. Laughter echoed out from several places at once, and his voice whispered from several places at once.

"You'll never be able to find me with just your eyes, little one," he called out mockingly. A flash caught Hikari's eye, and she leapt back as Walter suddenly appeared, slashing at where she had once been. She drove her sword forward, expecting to feel the solid impact of steel meeting flesh and bone, but staggered forward when she met no resistance. He was gone again.

She heard an angry snarl from one of the crew, and she glanced back in time to see Zoro start to draw his swords. "Zoro, NO!" she shouted, dodging once again as Walter appeared from above. "This is _my_ fight!"

Zoro froze, his hand still hovering over the hilt of his swords. Gritting his teeth, he lowered his hands and stepped back. Hikari was honestly surprised with his reaction. She had never seen him just give up a fight so easily, especially when the opponent wielded a sword. She was grateful, though. No matter how strong he was, Zoro was no match for Walter.

Hikari dodged once more, before opting for a new plan of action. Standing still in the center of the clearing, she held her sword before her in a basic kendo stance. Sucking in a deep breath, and praying to whatever higher power might be watching, she closed her eyes, stretching out her other senses.

She heard the rest of the crew screaming at her, demanding to know, in Zoro's colorful language, exactly "what the fuck she was doing". She tuned them out, instead focusing on calming her breathing. Everything faded away, and there was only her and her sword.

And the faint gust of wind to her right.

Eyes still closed, she quickly sidestepped, and aimed a horizontal strike at where she had just been standing. She was rewarded with the resistance to her blow as steel met flesh. Continuing through her swing, she knocked Walter backwards onto his backside. She finally opened her eyes, watching coldly as the man wheezed into the dirt, blood pouring from a nasty gash in his abdomen. "Checkmate," she called out, glaring down at him.

It took Hikari a moment to realize that the crew was dead silent. She hesitated for a second, suddenly afraid of their reaction. But the man on the ground before her began to laugh, attracting her attention once again.

"What wrong, little one?" he coughed out weakly. "Afraid that they'll see the monster you really are?"

Rage bubbled up deep inside her, threatening to overwhelm her. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword, and she had to keep herself from charging forward and completely disemboweling him. "Shut up," she spat through clenched teeth.

Walter just grinned up at her. "Do they know _everything_?" he continued, egging her on. "Do they know what you're plotting?"

"I said _shut up_!" Hikari snarled, lunging at the man, her sword forgotten. She grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him up off the ground. She wanted so badly to beat him to a pulp, to wipe that smug grin off his face. The grin that got wider as he leaned closer and whispered, "Checkmate."

Pain seared through her abdomen, making her vision go white for a moment. Coughing, she was surprised to discover a familiar metallic taste in her mouth. Glancing down, she saw Walter's right hand clutching a wicked hunting knife, the blade of which was currently planted firmly in her gut. She gasped as the world spun. Struggling to stay on her feet, she glared as best she could at the man. "Poison?" she slurred, trying to keep her vision focused. Walter just grinned in response and twisted the knife. This time, the pain exploded from the wound, and Hikari dropped to her knees, releasing her grip on his shirt. She numbly heard the rest of the crew screaming, but it sounded like they were extremely far away. Her eyelids were suddenly heavy, and she struggled to keep them open.

_Oh no you don't, dammit. You have to stay awake. You can't die here. Not yet. Not when freedom is so close…_

She barely registered being grabbed by several different pairs of hands, and being laid back on the hard ground. By the time the knife had been removed from her gut, she could hardly feel anything.

"… Hikari?" she heard a frantic voice call out. She tried to turn her head towards the voice, but she couldn't muster up the strength. "Hikari, stay with us!"

"Oi," another, lower voice called out. She felt someone grab her hand, clutching it in a painfully tight grip. "Don't you dare die. You hear me? Stay awake, dammit!"

Hikari tried to respond, but her body wouldn't comply. She squeezed the hand that clutched her own, before fading off into the inviting darkness.

* * *

><p>Zoro paced back and forth outside the infirmary, his thoughts racing at a million miles per hour. He wasn't really paying attention to any of them, but they still came nonetheless.<p>

"Zoro," Nami called out softly from her seat on the stairs. "You need to calm down."

The swordsman shot her a glare that could have melted ice, and continued pacing. For the first time in his life, he was scared. _Scared of what? Roronoa Zoro isn't scared of _anything_. Why the fuck am I so goddamn nervous? Why can't I stop pacing? Why can't I stop worrying about whether or not she'll be fine?_

At that moment, the door cracked open and Chopper padded out, looking exhausted. Everyone jumped up, anxious to hear the news.

"She'll be fine," Chopper sighed, rubbing his eyes. "The poison in her system was really strong. If it was anyone else, I don't think they would have survived. But her will to live is ridiculous. Right now, she's sleeping it off." The crew breathed a sigh of relief, and Zoro managed to relax just a bit. "I'll stay here," Chopper continued. "Hikari needs looking after. You guys should go and kick their asses."

Luffy, who had been sitting silently, nodded his agreement. "We're gonna kill them," he agreed, his tone serious. "Let's go."

The rest of the crew followed their captain in hushed silence, leaving Zoro standing by the infirmary with Chopper. "You should go too, Zoro. Hikari wouldn't want to be a burden to you."

Zoro glanced at the door, and then smiled weakly at the little reindeer before trudging after the rest of the crew.

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><p><em>Hikari was floating, weightless, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the sensation. <em>

"_Hikari." A high voice echoed in the space, reverberating on invisible walls, disturbing her peaceful meditation. Opening her eyes, she squinted against the bright light, glancing around to find the owner of the voice._

"_Hikari," the voice repeated, the owner still nowhere to be found. "You have to wake up."_

_Hikari frowned. But she didn't want to wake up. It was nice here… A nagging sensation in the back of her mind told her that she was forgetting something…. Something important. But she just couldn't remember _what.

_The room spun, and a small girl appeared before her. She looked no older than ten, and had short black hair. Hikari blinked in surprise at her sudden appearance. The girl smiled up at her, and Hikari felt her heart soften towards this mysterious little girl. _

"_You have to wake up," the girl insisted. "You can't stay here."_

"_But I don't want to wake up," Hikari responded, realizing how childish she sounded. A wave of pain washed over her for a split second, and she remembered why she was here. The pain. "It hurts out there."_

"_But it gets better," the little girl spoke wisely. "It doesn't always hurt. Besides, there are people waiting for you out there."_

_Hikari knew she was right. She shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to go back. As if she had read her mind, the girl smiled and took her hand. "I'll show you the way back," she laughed, as everything faded to black._

* * *

><p>When Hikari woke up, she felt a dull ache in her abdomen. She panicked for a moment as her brain worked desperately to recall what caused the pain. Memories came flooding back, and she remembered her fight with Walter. Sucking in a deep breath, she eased herself up into a sitting position, wincing as her injury throbbed in protest. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. As she sat trying to catch her breath, she heard something shift in the dark beside her. Hikari turned toward the sound, calling softly, "Chopper? Is that you?"<p>

Hikari froze when a hand clamped over her mouth and a blade found its way under her chin. A man wearing a jockey hat and smoking a cigarette leaned in closer to her, smiling menacingly. "'Fraid not, sweetheart," he drawled. Another man stomped over, holding the tiny reindeer by the scruff of his neck. "He's a bit… tied up at the moment. But enough about that," the smoking man whispered. "You're going to do exactly as we say, or the tanuki and the rest of your precious crew _dies_."

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!

Hopefully, I'll have this story wrapped up in a few more chapters. Thanks to everyone who put up with me while this was getting written!


	20. The Moment to Lie

Ah, I love the feeling of finishing and uploading a new chapter.

If you guys haven't figured it out by now, this entire story is being told by Hikari in her cell in prison. I told you guys I liked flashbacks. :3

I'm working on finishing up the last few chapters in this story. Thanks to all of you for putting up with me for so long, and sticking with me as I write this! Once I finish the last few chapters of Coming Closer, I'll decide whether or not I want to write a sequel to this story.

Also, sorry about how short this chapter is! I promise, the next one will be longer!

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

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><p>Zoro grunted, knocking back yet another small fry. He adjusted his grip on Sandai Kitetsu, taking a moment to scan the courtyard. There was really no need for him to worry. Luffy and the rest of the crew were holding their own against the hoard of underlings. Luffy himself had taken out most of the men upon bursting into the courtyard, and he and Sanji had made quick work of the rest. However, reinforcements were pouring in from all sides, and the flow of new forces wasn't slowing. Turning back to the men before him, he grinned ominously around the hilt of Wado and took up a fighting stance.<p>

"Halt!" a loud voice ordered, ringing out over the courtyard. Everyone froze, raising their eyes to the source of the voice. On the balcony overlooking the courtyard stood a rather handsome, and extremely muscular, red haired man. Zoro was shocked to discover that the man looked almost identical to him. It was quite similar to looking in the mirror, but seeing your reflection changed in minor ways.

Zoro instantly didn't like him.

The man smiled down at them, and the swordsman found yet another reason to hate this man. Clapping his hands together, his eyes flickered over all of the crew in turn, finally coming to rest on Zoro. "Bravo," he drawled, smirking down at the green haired swordsman. "I must say, this has been quite… entertaining. But I'm going to have to cut things short."

"Who the hell are you?" Zoro growled, glaring up at the red haired man. The man in question smirked, making a mock bow as he answered. "I am Ryūnoichizoku Kensei, head of the Ryūnoichizoku Syndicate," he responded with a mocking tone. "Unfortunately, you all are going to have to do exactly as I say from now on."

"And why's that?" Nami shouted.

Kensei grinned. "Because if you don't, I'll kill the tanuki," he replied nonchalantly.

Zoro froze. He had Chopper? But that would mean…

Kensei motioned to some guards standing behind him, and someone walked forward. It took Zoro a moment to realize who it was, and when he did, his blood ran cold.

Hikari stood on the balcony, sword drawn and an unconscious Chopper under her arm. Zoro heard Luffy and the others shout out their disbelief, but he wasn't listening. He stared up at her, a mixture of shock and betrayal completely overwhelming him. Her expression was cold as she gazed down at him. Zoro saw nothing of the Hikari that he knew in that expression, in her eyes.

She had betrayed them.

Kensei stood beside Hikari, a cruel grin spread across his face and one arm draped over her shoulder. "Now, you all will do as I say. Or Hikari-chan here," he paused, taking a moment to nuzzle against her neck, "will kill your precious doctor."

Hikari stood stiffly, as if she was riveted to the spot, a look of utter disgust flashing across her face. Zoro narrowed his eyes. If she had turned on them, for _him_, then why was she acting like she despised the man who stood beside her? It didn't make sense.

Kensei stood back up to his full height, all playfulness gone from his voice. "You will leave this island immediately. If I so much as see any of you ever again, I will kill you where you stand. Do you understand?" he snarled, the rage he had been concealing before bubbling up to the surface. Snatching the tiny reindeer from Hikari's grasp, he threw Chopper off the balcony in the crew's general direction. Sanji sprinted over, leaping to catch the tiny body before it could hit the ground. "You have an hour to get to your ship and set sail," Kensei snarled. "Get out of my sight." Turning on his heel, he grabbed Hikari by the arm roughly and stormed off.

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><p>"And they just <em>left<em>? You can't be serious."

Hikari raised her tired gaze to meet the gaze of the old pirate. "Yes," she responded simply. "I am serious. They left. After all, Kensei made it look like I had betrayed them." She once again turned her gaze down to her hands.

"But still! They had no proof! They should have stayed and rescued you," the old man snarled, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "Kids these days… There's no sense of family in a crew anymore."

Hikari decided not to argue with the old man any longer. That sense of family was exactly the reason why they wouldn't be coming to rescue her. She had been accepted into their family, and she had betrayed their trust.

The door to the prison slammed open once again, and the guard jumped to his feet, offering a sloppy salute. Glancing up, Hikari met the dark gaze of Kensei. She glared at him as he grinned down at her. "What do you want, you bastard?" she spat.

Kensei simply chuckled in response, leaning against one of the bars and staring intently at her. "My offer still stands, you know," he commented, waiting for her response.

Hikari stood slowly, walking over to where he stood. She pulled herself up to her full height, glaring straight into his eyes. "Your offer…" she trailed off, her expression softening for a moment.

Then her right arm flashed forward, her fist connecting with his face.

Kensei staggered back, clutching his bleeding nose and gasping for air. He looked shocked, as if he had been expecting a different response. "That's what I think of your damn offer, you asshole!" Hikari shouted. The red haired man glared at her, his face turning almost as red as his hair. He stormed out of the prison, pausing only to shout back, "Then we'll see you on the execution platform!"

Hikari slumped against the wall of her cell, sliding down to the floor. Her hands found their way into her hair, and she fought back sobs. It was really happening. She was really going to die. There was no avoiding it this time. Curling in on herself, she sat and waited for the end to come.

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the door to her cell creak open. Raising her gaze, she saw the two guards standing at the door, each carrying a naginata. The taller guard held a pair of kairoseki handcuffs limply in his hand. "Let's go," the shorter guard snapped. "I don't have all day." Resigned to her fate, Hikari stood and let the guards cuff her. Each one grabbed one of her arms and escorted her out of the prison.

Hikari trudged up the long flight of stairs, a sense of dread filling her with every passing second. She could hear the senseless babble of hundreds of people. Had Kensei really called everyone here? She supposed that she could be used as an example of what happened to those who betrayed the syndicate. She laughed to herself as she sarcastically thought that perhaps her death wouldn't be a waste after all.

The procession finally came to the platform at the top of the stairs, bringing them out into the blinding sunlight. Hikari squinted against the bright light, stumbling a bit as she was pulled towards the contraption that would end her life. The guillotine stood dark against the sunlight, the blade gleaming ominously. The two guards forced Hikari roughly down on her knees before the monstrous apparatus. The wood at the base was stained red, and she could smell the stench of dried blood radiating up from it. Swallowing back bile, she tried not to breathe in the stench as the guards forced her head forward, her neck resting uncomfortably on the wood. She half-heard the announcement to the crowd before her, not really processing the words as they were spoken. Closing her eyes, she waited for the moment when the blade would come crashing down.

The moment came sooner than she had expected. She heard a guard shout, heard the familiar sound of steel cutting through a thick rope, heard the grinding of the blade as it plummeted towards her.

And then she heard the clang of steel meeting steel. The crowd, which had been rowdy and noisy, was now silent. Hikari opened her eyes slowly, verifying that she was still alive. Everyone was staring at the guillotine, a mixture of shock and fear on their faces.

"Dammit, shit-cook, keep your end up," an all-too familiar voice growled behind her.

"Worry about your own side, shitty Marimo!" another, higher voice snarled in response.

Hikari froze.

It was impossible.

Craning her neck, she looked behind her. The two guards stood on either side of her, their naginatas holding the guillotine blade mere inches from her neck. While Hikari, watched, the taller, sleepy guard reached up with one hand and pulled his helmet off. She gaped as Zoro grinned down at her.

"How's it going, idiot? Guess what? We came to rescue you."

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><p>TBC<p>

Thanks for reading!


	21. Freedom at Last

OK, so since the school's internet sucks and I'm a giant idiot for forgetting to mention this, lemme actually remember and mention it now. In the last chapter, I mentioned a weapon called a naginata. It's basically a sword on a pole. Sorry for not mentioning that… XD

Anywho, this is the final chapter of Coming Closer! But not to worry! I've started writing a sequel to this frikkin' long story, and will be posting the first chapter soon. I've also got another story that will be my main focus, but I'll get into that later. Updates will probably be few and far between, but that's because college sucks and I'm getting loaded with tons of work.

Also, I'm sorry that this chapter, and the story for that matter, jump around so much. This is the first long story that I've written, so I've had some challenges keeping it going. But now it's done!

I've had so much fun with this story. I'd like to thank everyone who stuck with me to the end. I love all of you! Seriously!

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><p>Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.<p>

I do own Hikari.

* * *

><p><em>Craning her neck, she looked behind her. The two guards stood on either side of her, their naginatas holding the guillotine blade mere inches from her neck. While Hikari watched, the taller, sleepy guard reached up with one hand and pulled his helmet off. She gaped as Zoro grinned down at her.<em>

_"How's it going, idiot? Guess what? We came to rescue you."_

Hikari stared. She couldn't help it. She had lost all hope, had given up completely. But the crew had saved her, brought her back from the edge with their shining ray of hope. She felt herself grinning stupidly up at Zoro as relief washed over her.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you guys," she laughed shakily.

"Ok, this is fantastic and touching and all, but can we _please_ get out of here?" the other guard pleaded. Ripping his helmet off, Sanji glared daggers at Zoro before grinning at Hikari too. "Surpised?" he swooned. "I came to rescue you, my dear!"

"You?" Zoro snarled, scowling at the cook. "You had nothing to do with it, shit-cook! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have even gotten this far!"

"Oh, really?"

"Guys!" Hikari shouted, attracting both men's attention as she eyed several guards who had snapped out of their daze and were rushing to the platform. "It's great that you _both_ came, but can we _please_ get on with the rescuing part?"

Zoro seemed to notice the guards as well, and Hikari could tell by the tone of his voice that he was serious now. "Right, on the count of three, we force the blade back up and pull her back. Got it?" he snapped in Sanji's direction.

"Wait, what?" Hikari yelped.

"One…"

"Hang on guys… Let's rethink this!"

"Two…"

"I swear to God, if I get out of this alive, I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"Three!"

Hikari screamed as she felt two strong hands grab her from behind and dragged her out of the way of the falling blade. She stared at the place where she had just been, gasping for air as she realized how close she had just come to death.

She heard a click as Sanji raced to unlock her cuffs. Pushing off the ground, she was yanked to her feet by Zoro. Gunfire rang out, and the silent crowd erupted into chaos. Guards sprinted toward the trio, brandishing guns and swords. Sanji snarled as a bullet whizzed by and sprinted toward the nearest guard.

"Time to go," Zoro commented, grabbing Hikari and throwing her over his shoulder before sprinting down the stairs. Hikari yelped, pounding her fist against his broad shoulder. "Put me down, asshole!" she growled. "I can walk on my own!"

"Deal with it," Zoro grumbled, ignoring her demands to be put down. After a while, Hikari finally calmed down, settling for grumbling under her breath. She finally relaxed, splaying her hand over his shoulder blade and watching the shivers her actions sent down his spine.

"You came back," she finally commented, drawing patterns with her fingertips on his wide shoulder blades. Zoro grunted, concentrating on maneuvering down the winding staircase. Hikari stared off into space, the past few hours running through her head in a blur. As Zoro reached the bottom of the stairs, one realization suddenly became clear. Shoving off Zoro's shoulder, she stared at him with a mixture of horror and apprehension.

"If Sanji was the other guard, he knows everything," she realized.

Zoro stopped, giving her a look that clearly said, _well obviously, dumbass._ "Yeah, I know," he replied, a frown creasing his brow.

"And you're _okay_ with that?" Hikari asked incredulously. Zoro shrugged in response. Staring into his eyes, she realized that he seemed hesitant and distant. She suddenly realized that he too had heard quite a bit. She shifted uncomfortably against his grip, wishing she had some distance between them. But despite that, she couldn't break eye contact with him. Her mouth had gone dry, and she parted her lips slightly to run her tongue over them, a thrill running down her spine as Zoro's breath hitched at the simple action.

"And you're okay with what _you_ heard?" she murmured, instinctively leaning in closer to Zoro's warmth. She felt the swordsman's grip around her waist tighten. "I suppose," he responded slowly, his eyes flickering across her face. "You'll have to remind me of some of the details, though. I fell asleep right around the part where you were confessing how you felt about me."

Hikari couldn't help but grin. Even with all the shit that was going on, Zoro was still Zoro. Wrapping her arms around Zoro's neck, she brought herself closer to his level, her face a few tantalizing inches away. "I can't seem to remember," she breathed. "Could you help remind me?"

Zoro tilted his head slightly, his grin matching her own. "Maybe," he replied cryptically, his emerald eyes flashing with amusement. Hikari felt herself become lost in those eyes. They were beautiful, and they showed the emotions that Zoro himself refused to show. She supposed in this case, they really were a window to his soul.

A gunshot rang out, and Hikari flinched back as a bullet whizzed by, dangerously close to her face. Zoro cursed, sprinting down the hallway without a glance back.

"Put me down!" she shouted. "I can run on my own! Right now I'm only slowing you down!"

Zoro looked torn for a moment, but he finally conceded, stopping momentarily to set her down on her feet. Another gunshot rang out, and both took off down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Luffy glared at the man standing before him. A strong wind ruffled his hair as he stared down the man that had singlehandedly ruined his friend's life.<p>

"I'm going to make you pay for what you've done," he hissed, clenching his hands into fists and crouching slightly.

The red-haired man threw back his head and laughed. "You?" he sneered, glaring at the young captain. "What could a runt like you _possibly_ do to me?"

Luffy ignored the man, clenching his jaw as he uttered two simple words: "Gear Second."

* * *

><p>Hikari delivered a flying kick to the guard in front of her, landing lightly on her feet. Glancing behind her, she saw that Zoro was managing to hold his own even without his swords. She smiled slightly, a sense of relief washing over her. She was glad that he had come to rescue her.<p>

Another guard charged at her, and she turned her attention back to the fight.

* * *

><p>The red-haired man coughed up blood, clutching his stomach, glaring up at the young captain from the ground. "How…?" he gurgled, unable to finish his sentence.<p>

"You hurt my nakama," Luffy answered, deadly serious. "And for that, I'm going to make you pay."

The man stared up into the pirate's eyes, a crazy grin slowly spreading across his face.

"Do it."

* * *

><p>Hikari froze as she felt a huge wave of power wash over her, before it faded away completely. She stood completely still, hardly able to comprehend the situation.<p>

It was over.

She was finally free.

Her sight suddenly blurred, and she swayed, staggering towards the wall for support. She heard Zoro call out to her as the world spun, and she passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

><p>"So you're back."<p>

Hikari opened her eyes once again to the blinding light. She recognized that voice. Turning her head towards the source, she saw the black-haired girl from before.

"It's you again," she commented.

The girl smiled softly at her. "Yes," she replied. "It's me again."

Hikari tilted her head as she regarded the girl. "Why do you always show up here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Hikari."

Hikari frowned at the girl. She hadn't expected the question to be deflected back at her, and she honestly had no response. "I'm dreaming, right? So I should be here if this is my dream."

The girl shrugged, not confirming or denying her response. Hikari noticed that there was something different about her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"How do you know my name?"

"A friend told me. Someone close to you."

"Who?"

The girl only smiled in response.

A few moments of silence passed as the two sat contemplating each other. Finally, Hikari realized what was different about the girl. She had become slightly transparent, as if she was fading away.

"Hey, you're –"

"Fading from this plane of existence, yes," the girl cut her off before she could finish. "That's why you can see through me."

Hikari felt a gut-wrenching sadness rip through her. "But why are you fading?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

The girl smiled sadly up into the white abyss, as if she was looking at someone. "I was only here to look after a certain person, and to make sure that this person was happy." She turned her gaze back to Hikari, a lingering sadness dwelling in her onyx eyes. "Your presence has filled the hole that I left in that person's heart. So now I am no longer needed in this world…"

Hikari sat silent, unable to speak. The girl drifted closer to her. "Have you finally understood it, Hikari?" she asked, her eyes scanning the older woman's face. "Have you accepted your true feelings?"

Hikari swallowed at the girl's words and nodded numbly. A smile flickered across the girl's face, and she began to grow more and more transparent. "Good. Now wake up. Your friends are waiting for you."

"Wait!" Hikari called, reaching out a hand to grab the girl. "I don't even know your name!"

The small girl smiled up at her, a shimmer of tears in her eyes. "Kuina," she responded, her voice sounding fainter than before. "My name is Kuina. Tell Zoro… that I'm happy for him…"

With that, the girl vanished, leaving Hikari alone in the white abyss.

* * *

><p>Hikari slowly opened her eyes, the dream still fresh in her mind. She could tell that it was late by the darkness of the room, and by the tiny reindeer passed out next to her on the clinic cot. Gently picking him up, she carried Chopper back to his room, tucking him gently into his bed before creeping back out onto the deck. Leaning against the railing, she gazed off into the distance, a cool sea breeze streaming through her hair. A smile tugged at her lips as she took everything in. This was where she belonged.<p>

She felt a familiar presence approach. Glancing to her right, she saw Zoro watching her quietly, a mildly worried look creasing his brow. Suppressing a grin, she returned her gaze to the sapphire waves, quietly watching the endless stretch of blue. After some time, she felt the swordsman's gaze leave her as he too stared silently across the ocean.

"I met Kuina," she said suddenly, startling the swordsman from his reverie. His eyes widened at her words, but, thankfully, he didn't ask any questions. "She says that she's happy for you." He swallowed, nodding before he turned his gaze back to the sea. An uncomfortable silence fell over the two, but it wasn't unbearable. Hikari could practically feel the sorrow emanating from Zoro, so she remained silent, allowing him the time to mourn his friend anew.

"Can we start over?" Hikari finally asked quietly, turning back to the swordsman. "I've fucked this relationship up royally. I just… I want to start over, to start on a clean slate." A small smile flickered across the swordsman's face at her words.

"I suppose," he chuckled, the low baritone of his voice comforting to her ears. Turning to face her, he extended his hand, a sly grin on his face. "I'm Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter."

Hikari couldn't help but laugh. "I'm Hikari Oshiro, just a petty thief," she grinned, grasping his hand in a firm handshake. "Nice to meet you."

Zoro laughed, the first genuine laugh she had ever heard from the swordsman. Grinning down at her, he asked, "Well, since all the formalities are past us, wanna grab a drink?"

That sounded absolutely fantastic. Hikari nodded, and the two walked off together to the galley. She smiled to herself, feeling truly at home for the first time in her life.

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><p>FIN<p>

Thanks for reading!


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